Program Description

"Conscious Discipline® is a comprehensive classroom management program and a social-emotional curriculum. It is based on current brain research, child development information, and developmentally appropriate practices. "

Cost

Program components and training sold separately

Intended Population

• Core

Grade

• Pre-K
• Elementary School

Intended Group Size

• Any

ELL/DLL

• Partial

Multisensory Applications

• Yes

Computer-Based Delivery

• Partial

Scripted

• Instructor Scripted

Comprehensive or Skill Specific

• Comprehensive

Placement Tests

• Yes

Accelerated Learning

• Unspecified

Assessment to Monitor Skills Mastery

• Yes

Error Correction Built In

• Unspecified

Fidelity Measures Provided by Publisher

• Yes

Research Summary

Efficacy research on Conscious Discipline is limited. Some studies study found that Conscious Discipline implementation had a positive effect on teachers' perceptions of school climate, student behavior, and student-teacher relationships, and one doctoral dissertation found positive correlations between program implementation and children's social emotional competencies. Another found that greater teacher fidelity to the program was associated with greater child executive functioning skills, social skills, and student-teacher relationships, but had no effect on academic skills. However, due to the methodology used in these studies, there is insufficient evidence to support the efficacy of this program at this time.

Study Citations

Anderson, K. L., Nesbitt, K. T., Sheeks, N. A., Vrabec, A., Boris, K., & Fuhs, M. W. (2022). Executive function mediates the relationship between Conscious Discipline fidelity and kindergarten readiness. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 79, 101393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2022.101393

Anderson, K. L., Weimer, M., & Fuhs, M. W. (2020). Teacher fidelity to Conscious Discipline and children’s executive function skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 51, 14-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2019.08.003

Barkac, J. (2019). The Correlation between Conscious Discipline and Social, Emotional, and Executive Function Skills of Preschool Children (Doctoral dissertation, Northcentral University).

Caldarella, P., Page, N. W., & Gunter, L. (2012). Early childhood educators' perceptions of Conscious Discipline. Education, 132(3), 589-599.

Hoffman, L. L., Hutchinson, C. J., & Reiss, E. (2009). On Improving School Climate: Reducing Reliance on Rewards and Punishment. International Journal of Whole Schooling, 5(1), 13-24.

Evidence Base (ESSA)

• No studies met inclusion requirements

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

• Insufficient evidence