Every administrator has them. The “Frequent Flyers.”
These are the 3-5 students who account for 80% of your radio calls.
They aren’t bad kids. They aren’t violent. But they are relentless.
They disrupt class every hour. The teacher is exhausted. You are exhausted. You have tried lunch detention. You have tried calling home. You have tried “The Talk.” Nothing changes.
Why? Because those consequences are autopsies. They happen after the behavior is already dead and gone.
If you want to change the behavior of a Frequent Flyer, you can’t just punish the failure. You have to coach the success.
Enter the Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) system.
What is CICO? (It’s Not Just a Sticker Chart)
Check-In/Check-Out is a Tier 2 intervention designed to break the cycle of negativity.
For a student who acts out to get attention (even negative attention), the typical school day is a losing game. They get yelled at in the morning, lose recess at noon, and get sent to the office by 2:00 PM. They feel like a failure, so they act like one.
CICO flips the script. It gives them a designated “Champion” to start and end their day with positive momentum.
The 3-Step Protocol
This system only works if you run it with fidelity. Handing a kid a clipboard and saying “be good” is not CICO. Here is how we run it.
Step 1: The Morning Check-In (Regulation)
The student doesn’t go straight to class. They go to their Mentor (this could be you, a counselor, or a favorite former teacher).
This interaction takes 2 minutes, but it is the most important part of the day.
The Goal: Regulation and Goal Setting.
The Script: “Good morning, Marcus! I am so glad you’re here. You look tired—rough morning? Let’s shake it off. Your goal today is ‘Safe Hands.’ I know you can do it. I’ve got a snack waiting for you if you hit your goal.”
You are sending them to class regulated, felt, and focused. You are putting fuel in their tank before the driving starts.
Step 2: The Data Loop (Feedback, Not Shame)
The student carries a Daily Point Card. It is broken down by period or hour.
The Goal: Immediate feedback.
The Process: At the end of each block, the teacher gives the student a score (2 = Great, 1 = Okay, 0 = Try Again).
Crucial Rule: The teacher must give positive feedback for the 2s, not just lecture on the 0s. The card forces the teacher to catch the student being good. It changes the teacher’s mindset just as much as the student’s.
Step 3: The Afternoon Check-Out (Reflection)
At the end of the day, the student returns to their Mentor.
The Goal: Reflection and Reward.
The Script: “Let’s see how you did. Wow! Look at that 2 in Math. You crushed it. You struggled a bit in Reading, but that’s okay, we can try again tomorrow. You hit 80% of your points, so you earned your prize.”
The student leaves school feeling seen and successful, not kicked out and angry.
Why It Works
I love systems, and CICO is the ultimate relationship system.
- It removes the “surprise.” The student knows exactly what the goal is.
- It banks relationship equity. That morning greeting might be the only positive adult interaction they have all day.
- It creates a data trail. After 4 weeks, you have a graph. You can look a parent in the eye and say, “He struggles specifically between 12:00 and 1:00 PM.” Now you can solve the actual problem.
The “Mr. Reed” Trap to Avoid
Do not assign a CICO Mentor who the student hates.
This sounds obvious, but I see schools do it all the time. Do not make the “Mean Assistant Principal” the mentor.
Pick the P.E. coach. Pick the art teacher. Pick the secretary who gives them candy.
The intervention is the relationship. If there is no relationship, there is no change.
Stop playing Whac-A-Mole with your Frequent Flyers. Give them a coach, give them a scoreboard, and watch them start to win.