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Daily Behavior Report Cards

Pre-K to 12 Education
  Literature review updated April 2018.

Daily behavior report cards (DBRC) are a systematic method of communicating with parents about a student's behavior in school. Typically, teachers identify students exhibiting behavior problems for participation. The report cards are sent home with the child or electronically, and the student must return the form the following morning with the parent's signature. Behavioral reinforcements or consequences are delivered to students by parents or teachers and are selected based on the individual child. In this analysis, teachers issued electronic report cards to students in 3rd grade over a three-week period, and parents issued behavioral rewards or consequences.
 
ALL
META-ANALYSIS
CITATIONS

Meta-analysis is a statistical method to combine the results from separate studies on a program, policy, or topic to estimate its effect on an outcome. WSIPP systematically evaluates all credible evaluations we can locate on each topic. The outcomes measured are the program impacts measured in the research literature (for example, impacts on crime or educational attainment). Treatment N represents the total number of individuals or units in the treatment group across the included studies.

An effect size (ES) is a standard metric that summarizes the degree to which a program or policy affects a measured outcome. If the effect size is positive, the outcome increases. If the effect size is negative, the outcome decreases. See Estimating Program Effects Using Effect Sizes for additional information on how we estimate effect sizes.

The effect size may be adjusted from the unadjusted effect size estimated in the meta-analysis. Historically, WSIPP adjusted effect sizes to some programs based on the methodological characteristics of the study. For programs reviewed in 2024 or later, we do not make additional adjustments, and we use the unadjusted effect size whenever we run a benefit-cost analysis.

Research shows the magnitude of effects may change over time. For those effect sizes, we estimate outcome-based adjustments, which we apply between the first time ES is estimated and the second time ES is estimated. More details about these adjustments can be found in our Technical Documentation.

Meta-Analysis of Program Effects
Outcomes measured No. of effect sizes Treatment N Effect sizes (ES) and standard errors (SE) Unadjusted effect size (random effects model)
ES SE Age ES p-value
Externalizing behavior symptoms
Symptoms of externalizing behavior (e.g., aggressive, hostile, or disruptive behavior) measured on a validated scale.
 8 1 31 -0.158 0.340 8 -0.685 0.049
Internalizing symptoms
Symptoms of internalizing behavior (e.g., sadness, anxiety, or withdrawal) measured on a validated scale.
 8 1 31 -1.070 0.359 8 -1.070 0.003
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms
Clinical diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or symptoms measured on a validated scale.
8 1 31 -0.065 0.340 8 -0.284 0.405

Citations Used in the Meta-Analysis

Williams, K., Noell, G.H., Jones, B.A., & Gansle, K.A. (2012). Modifying students' classroom behaviors using an Electronic Daily Behavior Report Card. Children and Family Behavioral Therapy, 34(4), 269-289.