The The Competent Learner Model (CLM) is a groundbreaking, individualized educational program, reshaping the landscape of learning by promoting collaboration and consistency in school, home and community environments.
Combining elements of applied behavior analysis (ABA), precision teaching, and direct instruction, the CLM offers a revolutionary approach that empowers learners of all ages and abilities through engaging, play-based methodologies.
With roots tracing back to B.F. Skinner’s insights on functional language, the CLM cultivates seven key repertoires: Talker, Observer, Reader, Writer, Participator, Listener, and Problem Solver. These are seven basic skills that everyone needs to participate as independently as possible; no matter their age or diagnosis. Guided by certified coaches, this innovative framework is adaptable to the diverse needs of learners, parents, educators, and ABA professionals.
Vicci Tucci, 1949-2024
ABA pioneer, visionary advocate and fearless innovator.
Vicci was born in Weston, West Virginia in 1949. This was also the year that B.F. Skinner published his book, “The Case for Radical Behaviorism”. This title could also be a caption for Vicci’s life work in the science of ABA and her crowning legacy, the development of The Competent Learner Model. Indeed she directly attributed this 1968 Skinner quote as the inspiration for her formation of the Competent Learner Model.
“Teaching is the arrangement and rearrangement of
contingencies to facilitate learning.” ~ B.F. Skinner
Vicci’s initial venture into working with marginalized communities began in her hometown of Weston, West Virginia. In 1971, while pursuing her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of West Virginia, she assumed the role of Recreation Director at the Weston State Hospital. During her early days there, she relocated her desk to the basement where the isolation rooms were, in order to keep the patients company, and deter the doctors from using isolation as punishment. This simple act marked her first official advocacy for a misunderstood and mistreated demographic. It laid the foundation for Vicci’s life narrative, igniting within her the drive to champion marginalized individuals wherever she encountered them.
Vicci’s relentless curiosity about human capacity shaped her journey. In 1978, she completed her Master’s Degree in Psychology, specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of the Pacific (UOP) in Stockton, CA. One of her first professional jobs was assisting a group of intellectually and behaviorally challenged adults. The setting was unconventional: a former and now abandoned jail. With a football in the trunk of her car and some paper and pencils, she used these tools to begin to establish value and interact with her learners. Soon she and her class were invited to the local adult school. This led Vicci to think about what preparation her learners needed to function in this new environment.
While attending UOP, she gained experience in a variety of contexts, including research and as a teaching assistant at UOP, serving the Stockton State Hospital as both the Program Coordinator of UOP’s Community Re-entry Project and as a Training Specialist through Valley Mountain Regional Center, Instructor at the Manteca Adult School, Residential House Manager at the Howard Training Center, and Teacher Project Director for Manteca Unified School District. Following receiving her MA from UOP in 1978, Vicci went on to serve as Program Director of the Manteca CAPS Center, and Program Director of the Manner House Residential Program and DTAC/Behavioral Program at Serra Residential Center.
From these early experiences she emerged as a fierce and fearless advocate for progressive practices in the treatment of individuals with behavioral challenges, and a promoter of non-coercive methodologies that made her a pioneer within the field of ABA.
In the late 80’s Vicci’s life led her to California’s beautiful Central Coast where she and her wife Ruth put down roots that would hold them for the next 30+ years. She began consulting with the Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE), using her study of the early behaviorists to help her coach classroom teachers on how to work with behaviorally challenged learners. Theory became practice as the framework for teaching learners, as well as coaching teachers, began to take shape. The framework initially encompassed a two-sided approach: curricula for the learners, and a course of study for the instructors. Soon understanding that the administrators must be involved in order for systemic change to occur, the action management process held the key for maintaining an outcomes-based methodology.
The CLM was created out of Vicci’s recognition of the need for effective and research validated instructional intervention for both learners and those in instructional roles. During this period of time, Vicci’s time was consumed with working all day in the classroom and then writing all night. There were not enough hours in the day to get this exciting work done! Her work with MCOE led her to found her own behavioral services company, Tucci Learning Solutions, which has been serving learners and families in several regions of California for more than 30 years, implementing the CLM daily with hundreds of learners.
Vicci’s unparalleled understanding of Skinner’s work allowed her to embed the behavior analytic practices into her course of study in a way that was accessible for everyone. She was a masterful learning environment engineer and was passionate about sharing her knowledge. Her vision of coaching and supporting educators to apply best practices, sets the CLM apart from all other models.
Vicci’s professional accolades and awards:
Vicci’s other monumental contributions to the field of ABA include:
Vicci traveled the world supporting global CLM implementations, and she never stopped working to refine and develop both the CLM and its presence in global education. Returning to her hometown of Weston, WV, in semi-retirement, she continued to visit Competent Learner Model classrooms on the east coast and collaborate with colleagues until her passing in February of 2024.
The memorial reflections of those who knew her best and worked by her side for decades describe her this way: Vicci Tucci was highly regarded for her outgoing and dynamic personality. She was an inspiring and passionate individual, brimming with determination and creativity. Her influential nature and innovative spirit made her a leader and a mentor. Words like “trailblazer,” “game changer,” and “brilliant” describe her impact on colleagues and all who knew her. “Mama”, also a term used to describe Vicci, recognizes her nurturing spirit, both in a literal familial sense and as a caretaker within her professional community.
The singular word “trouble” amidst the overwhelmingly positive words used to describe Vicci highlights her ability to challenge the status quo, aligning with her being a game changer. She referred to herself as “MisBehavior” which illustrated her playfulness and humor in the field of behaviorism. Vicci Tucci was admired for her intellect, warmth, and vivacity, making her a beloved and respected figure for all who knew her.
This timeline is a living document based on independent research, archived sources, audio and video content and human memory. We make no claim to depict any particular history and have chosen past events and figures for their relevance to the story of the Competent Learner Model. If you feel we have gotten something wrong, missed something important, or have a general comment about the events and people depicted in this timeline, please contact us at info@thecompetentlearnermodel.org.
The Competent Learner Model© is an intensive, individualized teaching program designed to improve participation using the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), precision teaching and direct instruction. The products and services on this site have been developed over 30 years making the Competent Learner Model a tried, tested and true approach to successful engagement for learners of ALL ages and abilities. The goal is to empower learners to be as independent as possible. Of critical importance is the Competent Learner Model’s non-coercive play-based approach, which allows learners as well as parents, caregivers and professionals, the opportunity to succeed in creating competency. Several school districts/programs across the US and internationally have successfully implemented the Competent Learner Model.
The Competent Learner Model System integrates:
The Competent Learner Model presents step by step instruction that develops the seven Competent Learner Model repertoires that learners need in order to progress and function in daily life. These repertoires are based upon B.F. Skinner’s (1957) analysis of functional language that provides a framework for developing communication, observing and listening skills, and the pre-academic skills of reading and writing. The seven Competent Learner Model repertoires are Talker, Observer, Reader, Writer, Participator, Listener and Problem Solver.
Supportive virtual coaching by Certified Competent Learner Model Coaches or BCBA Certified Competent Learner Model Coaches and other resources are available to help further develop the Competent Learner Model framework to meet the individualized needs of parents, educators and ABA professionals.
