Calvin Won’t Sit Down! The Daily Behavior Report Card - A Practical Technique to Change Student Behavior and Increase School-Home Communication

Oct 15, 2026

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Calvin is described as a student who cannot remain seated, frequently calls out, does not complete classwork, and rarely returns homework. The article presents the Daily Behavior Report Card as an empirically supported behavioral intervention designed for busy teachers, helping them manage classroom behavior and strengthen school-home communication. It targets common classroom challenges and provides a practical approach for improving daily student engagement and accountability.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

School–Family Partnerships

Parent involvement and achievement

Communication goals and barriers

Calvin Won’t Sit Down! The Daily Behavior Report Card: A Practical Technique to Change Student Behavior and Increase School-Home Communication Carolyn B. Mires, PhD 1 and David L. Lee, PhD, BCBA-D2 Beyond Behavior 2017, Vol. 26(2) 89–95 © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2017 Reprints and permissions: [sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav](sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav)[ ](sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav)[DOI: 10.1177/1074295617711716](DOI: 10.1177/1074295617711716)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/1074295617711716)[journals.sagepub.com/home/bbx](journals.sagepub.com/home/bbx) Abstract Calvin is a student who will not stay in his seat. He calls out constantly. Calvin does not complete his class work, and his homework is rarely returned. Do you have a student like Calvin? Does he fail to turn in homework, or act disrespectfully toward teachers and peers? Easy to implement, the Daily Behavior Report Card is an empirically based behavioral intervention that can help busy teachers better manage their classroom. Keywords academic, behavior(s), management/modification, emotional disturbance, disorders/disabilities, teaching strategies, efficacy/ effectiveness, practices The academic difficulties of students with learning and behavioral challenges are well documented. In recent years, researchers have identified the academic characteristics of these students, which include low levels of academic engagement and below-average performance in reading, writing, and math (Lane, Little, Redding-Rhodes, Phillips, & Welsh, 2007; Owens et al., 2012) . In the absence of effective interventions, researchers suggest that this population of students, which includes those with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and/or or learning disabilities, are more likely to experience academic failure, be retained in grade, and leave school before graduation than students without disabilities (Wagner, Kutash, Duchnowski, & Epstein, 2005) . Not only is the number of students with and at risk for behavioral and learning difficulties increasing, but more of these students are being served in general education classrooms (Snyder, Dillow, & Hoffman, 2009) . Dealing with challenging behavior, then, is a challenge for all educators. The behavior of this population of students introduces change in how each teacher manages his or her classroom. Their behavior also impacts the learning experiences of peers and the school-based interactions of parents, caregivers, and other family members. School-home communication and how it can be positively impacted through a daily behavior report card (DBRC) is the focus of this article. School–Family Partnerships Henderson (1987) examined the relationship between parent involvement and children’s school achievement. She reviewed 49 studies and concluded that “the evidence is now beyond dispute: Parent involvement improves student achievement. When parents are involved, children do better in school, and they go to better schools”(Henderson, 1987, p. 1) . Regular and consistent communication is required for parents and teachers to share information about their child’s needs, progress, and interests (Murray, McFarland-Piazza,& Harrison, 2015) . Expectations concerning student behavior, achievement, and discipline can be communicated regularly. This sets the stage for establishing shared goals and mutual decision making. Schools traditionally provide learning inputs consisting of opportunities for learning in both academic and social contexts, as well as rewards for that knowledge (Snyder et al., 2009) . Families often provide support concerning attitudes toward learning, socialization, and effort (Power 1 Bridgewater State University, MA, USA 2The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA Corresponding Author: Carolyn B. Mires, Assistant Professor, Department of Special Education, Bridgewater State University, Hart Hall, Room 225, 90 Burrill Avenue,

FAQs

What student behaviors does the article focus on?

It focuses on a student who cannot stay seated, calls out constantly, does not complete classwork, and rarely returns homework.

What is the Daily Behavior Report Card (DBRC) intended to do?

DBRC is presented as an empirically based intervention to help teachers manage classroom behavior and improve school-home communication.

Why is school–family communication emphasized?

Regular, consistent communication is needed to share information about student needs, progress, and interests, and to support collaborative goals between schools and families.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Ben