CHAMPS Overview

In addition to using positive, proactive strategies to prevent inappropriate behaviors and promote appropriate behaviors in school-wide settings, such as hallways and cafeterias, PBS universal strategies include the use of  positive, proactive strategies in the classroom setting. In GCS, the CHAMPs classroom management model, developed by Randall Sprick, is utilized as a way to extend PBS principles and practices to the classroom setting.

CHAMPs content is taught in four sections: Protect, Expect, Connect, and Correct. The Protect section focuses on structuring for success by highlighting best practices for implementing an attention signal, establishing classwide expectations and rules, developing routines and schedules, and designing the physical space of the classroom. Expect is all about teachers defining their behavioral expectations for every activity and transition during the school day and teaching these expectations to their students. Teachers are taught to use the CHAMPs acronym (Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, and Participation) when defining and teaching their behavioral expectations. The Connect section teaches some basic information about motivation and how teachers can use various teaching strategies and encouragement procedures to enhance student motivation to learn and behave appropriately. Encouragement procedures include noncontingent attention, positive feedback, intermittent celebrations, and classwide motivation systems. The PBS goal of maintaining a 4:1 ratio of positive to negative interactions is extended to the classroom setting. Finally, in Correct, best practices for responding to misbehavior are taught, including what to do (consequence options and selection) and how to do it (communication styles). Strategies for avoiding power struggles and dealing with angry students are also included.