positive action center: an innovative approach to discipline management
TRANSCRIPT
Positive Action Center:An Innovative Approach to Discipline Management
What We Know Nationwide
• Each school day, 7,000 students dropout of school
• 1 out of 3 students do not graduate
• 3 out of 4 state prison inmates did not graduate high school
• Students who drop out are 3 times more likely to fall into poverty
• Each drop out earns approximately 35% less annually than those who graduate
National Statistics
• In 2003, 26 of the largest school districts in America graduated less than 6 out of 10 students
Graduation Rates for Our 10 Largest U.S. Districts (2007)
• New York City – 54.8%• Los Angeles – 40.6%• Chicago – 55.4%• Miami-Dade County, Fla. – 56.9%• Clark County, Nev. – 39.9%• Broward County, Fla. – 60.5%• Houston – 42.2%• Hillsborough County, Fla. – 63.0%• Hawaii (statewide district) – 65.1%• Philadelphia – 48.4%
Other Graduation Rates (2007)
• Detroit – n/a
• Dallas – 42.8%
• Baltimore – 43.4%
• Albuquerque – 46.4%
• Milwaukee – 47.5%
• Fort Worth – 50.0%
• Fresno – 51.2%
• Denver – 52.8%
Every 29 seconds a student gives up on school
The Cost in Texas
• Texas has 119,000 dropouts each year• Taxpayers in Texas spend $3,168
annually per drop-out for their lifetime
(Medicaid costs, incarceration costs, and loss of tax revenue)
119,000 x $3,168 =
$377,000,000 per year
The Cost in Texas
Example:• The 2007 class of drop-outs will
cost the state $377 million this year and every year after for the rest of their lives
The Cost in Texas
Why do kids go to ISS and AEP?
What does ISS or AEP look like in your District?
Students in ISS or AEP:• Get behind on assignments• Miss critical instruction• Feel picked on or targeted• Feel isolated • Feel disliked and insignificant• Continue the behavior• If habitual, fall into the category of “throw
away kid“• Are negatively impacted by their peers
What If?
Students could come back from ISS or AEP:• Feeling significant and validated• Able to identify and communicate their
needs• Able to express feelings• Able to explore solutions• With new problem-solving techniques• With a plan to be successful
The Answer: Positive Action Center
Goals:• Reduce number of students referred to
ISS/AEP • Improve decision making skills• Develop better communication skills• Develop problem solving skills• Develop improved listening skills• Build resiliency skills• Reduce violence
How it works!
• Voluntary process• A student mentor works with the student to
build an action plan that allows them to take responsibility and find his/her own solutions
• Mentor does not advise, they just listen and help facilitate the process
By following the steps listed above, I will ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Signature: _______________________________ Date:____________Mentor: __________________________________ Date:____________
ACTION PLAN
Action When Where Who Expected Outcome
1.
2.
3.
What We See
• Reduction in overall disciplinary referrals• Reduction in student recidivism• Reduction in expulsions• Reduction in dropouts• Reduction in violent outbursts• Improved attendance• Improved classroom management• Improved learning environment
Mentoring for 2006-2007
• 151 Mentors• 686 Mentees• 670 Successful Action Plans
Discipline Referrals
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
ISS AEP
BeforeMentoring
AfterMentoring
Grade Point Averages
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9
2
2.1
2.2
2.3
GPA
BeforeMentoring
AfterMentoring
Tardies
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Number of Tardies
BeforeMentoring
AfterMentoring
70.8% reduction
Absences
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
Number of Absences
BeforeMentoring
AfterMentoring
53.84% Reduction
What Our Schools Say!
• “It’s amazing how much the kids will open up to their mentors” McKinney Boyd High School Coordinator
• “The students get to develop a relationship with someone they can look up to” Ennis High School Coordinator
• “This program goes hand in hand with Peer Mediation” Duncanville High School Counselor
• “I can’t believe they actually wanted to talk to me” Mentor
Contact Information
Susan.ArmoniExecutive Director
Cary TroutSenior Training Specialist
paxUnited – The National Mediation Center®2155 Chenault Drive, Suite 410
Carrollton, TX 75006
www.paxunited.org