Getting Started With CICO
When students need a little extra TLC to be their best.
What is CICO?
CICO in PBIS stands for Check-In, Check-Out. It’s a strategy used in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) frameworks at Tier 2 to support students’ behavior and academic success.
CICO Classic
In CICO Classic, students check in with a designated staff member (CICO Coach) at the start of the day and receive personalized feedback and goals. Then, throughout the day, students participating in CICO have scheduled opportunities for positive feedback with their classroom teacher(s). Usually, schools create a Daily Point Card tied to school values to track student progress. Finally, they’ll check out with their CICO coach at the end of the day, reflecting on the day and making a plan for tomorrow.
CICO Classic tends to be a highly effective and relatively easy Tier 2 behavior support, especially when schools already have a well-established Tier 1 Positive Behavior Interventions and Support framework in place.
Reflective CICO
Reflective CICO works exactly like CICO Classic, except for the data process. In CICO Classic, students carry a daily point card that needs to get turned into a coach before they leave school. The CICO Classic point card tends to cause problems for a few reasons:
- Children and youth participating in behavior interventions frequently lose the point cards, especially if they also live with ADHD or ADHD-like symptoms.
- Because CICO is meant to be about positive interactions, expecting students to manage a point card that tracks negative interactions is counterproductive.
- We’re usually tracking behavior outcomes already through the school disciplinary process, so the Daily Point Card in CICO classic is honestly unnecessary.
Because the daily point card has been a persistently problematic aspect of CICO Classic implementation, TGS Educational Consulting has developed a better CICO framework that focuses on positive interactions and removes students from the data collection process entirely. It’s called Reflective CICO, and is an excellent option for schools wanting a holistic, dignified approach to behavior intervention that is every bit as effective as CICO Classic.
Academic CICO
Academic CICO also provides participating students with a coach and opportunities for feedback throughout the day. The difference, however, is that the focus is on academic behaviors. In Academic CICO, students set an academic goal that they’d like to achieve. Then, they work with their coach and teacher(s) to come up with a “do-it-every-day” strategy that will help them achieve their goal.
For example, if a student wants to increase their grade in math, they might set a goal of completing at least a portion of their nightly homework. The amount of practice completed might increase as new habits develop, with the likely outcome of the student doing better in class and on assessments.
PBIS Tier 1
School-wide essentials.
Tier 1 is where schools should usually begin their PBIS implementation. Together, we’ll uncover school values and build the systems necessary to live those values out loud throughout your campus and beyond.
PBIS Tier 2
Systems to provide some extra support and care.
Tier 2 is where PBIS begins to “sing.” Once built, your Tier 2 systems will be ready to support any students who needs a little extra support and care to be their best, all within a framework that’s easy to implement and monitor.
PBIS Tier 3
Whatever we can, for as long as it takes.
Tier 3 supports are for the student who is always on your mind and heart, and for the staff working to meet their needs. At Tier 3, we will work together to build systems of support for individual students that are based on a comprehensive look at overall wellness, student-led goals, and care for the entire team and family.
PBIS: Comprehensive Implementation
Whatever we can, for as long as it takes.
Tier 2 is where PBIS begins to “sing.” Once built, your Tier 2 systems will be ready to support any students who needs a little extra support and care to be their best, all within a framework that’s easy to implement and monitor.
Most importantly, know that starting out with PBIS will never require you to “start over” with anything you have already built that is working well for you. We are looking forward to building the kinds of classrooms and schools that those you serve will remember as warm, kind, and supportive places to learn.