Replication of the CLASS Program in Costa Rica

Abstract

This article describes a transcultural replication of the CLASS program in Costa Rica. CLASS (Contingencies for Learning Academic and Social Skills) is a comprehensive intervention package for remediating disruptive child behavior in mainstream classroom settings (Walker & Hops, 1979). The CLASS program has been applied successfully in the United States, but its effects have not been previously tested in a cross-cultural setting. This study was conducted in a series of regular public elementary schools in San Jose, Costa Rica, a large urban area. A group of program consultants were trained in CLASS program procedures during an intensive 3-day in-service conducted by the authors. Twenty acting out children enrolled in regular elementary schools served as target subjects. They were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group, forming two groups of 10 each. Direct observational data were collected at pre-and post-time points under identical conditions. Results were analyzed using t-tests of group mean differences between experimental and control group subjects at pre- and post-time points. No statistically significant differences between the experimental and control group means were found at pre, but mean differences favoring the experimental group were obtained at post. A consumer satisfaction measure completed by program consultants was very positive.