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Precision Teaching

Precision Teaching was founded by Dr. Ogden Lindsley, a student of B.F. Skinner at Harvard University in the 1950's. Dr. Lindsley's research had shown frequency to be 10 to 100 times more sensitive than percentage correct as a measure of human behavior. The Standard Celeration Chart (SCC), which uses frequency as its primary measure, is the data collection tool employed by Precision Teachers.

Dr. Owen White defined Precision Teaching as “a system for defining instructional targets, monitoring daily performance, and organizing and presenting performance data in a uniform manner to facilitate timely and effective instructional decisions. Precision Teaching does not dictate what should be taught or how instruction should proceed; it represents a set of strategies and tactics for evaluating whatever program a teacher might choose to implement.” This makes Precision Teaching a powerful technology for evaluating new instructional procedures, curriculums, and interventions.

There are four guiding principals of Precision Teaching:

  1. The learner knows best
  2. Focus is on observable behavior
  3. Use of frequency is a universal measure of behavior
  4. The SCC displays the data
Dr. Kubina (2012) expands on these principals to guide the Precision Teacher to:
  • Pinpoint the skill to be charted
  • Record behavior frequencies on the SCC
  • Change course based on the data
  • Try, try again (learners never fail, only the instruction can fail)
The term “fluency” is closely associated with Precision Teaching. Dr. Carl Binder, also a student of B.F. Skinner, defined fluency as accuracy plus speed or true mastery. Precision Teachers measure fluency on the SCC using four outcome checks:
  1. Endurance- using the skill for long durations without fatiguing
  2. Stability- using the skill under distracting conditions
  3. Application- applying the skills to untaught examples
  4. Retention- remembering the skills after long periods of non-practice

Dr. Kent Johnson added the term Generativity to describe the "wow" moment that occurs when concepts come together.

Precision Teachers typically build the student’s accuracy in performing a skill, then they practice the newly acquired skill under timed conditions, next the teacher charts the data and makes decisions based on that charted data. The student continues to practice the skill until they reach a frequency aim. After the aim is met, the teacher then tests for fluent performance using the outcome checks.