"CPR": Conscientiously Participating in Reflecting, Redirecting, and Realizing Appropriate Behavior
Format
Individual Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
John J. Wright Educational and Cultural Center Alternative Education Program
Second Presenter's Institution
John J. Wright Educational and Cultural Center Alternative Education Program
Third Presenter's Institution
NA
Fourth Presenter's Institution
NA
Fifth Presenter's Institution
NA
Location
Poster Session (Harborside)
Strand #1
Safety & Violence Prevention
Strand #2
Social & Emotional Skills
Relevance
Safety and Violence Prevention: A key component of the success experienced in our program for students at-risk for dropping out of high and/or exhibiting inappropriate behavior and poor decision-making skills is our behavior levels program. The program provides positive behavior supports that rewards appropriate behavior and encourages students to make better decisions and become accountable for their own behavior. The program allows students to recover from mistakes and learn appropriate ways to deal with anger, frustration, authority, and other triggers that often result in disciplinary actions that cause them to be removed from the education setting. This program provides a pathway for students to retain dignity, examine choices, respond appropriately and return to the educational setting without using losing crucial instructional time.
Brief Program Description
Our "CPR" Program: Conscientiously Participating in Reflecting, Redirecting, and Realizing Appropriate Behavior provides positive behavior supports and rewards that encourage students to take responsibility for their actions, choices, and behavior. Students determine their own success!
Summary
Someone once said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” It is our goal to apply these wise words to the students we teach. Alternative Education students often exhibit misbehavior, anger, apathy, depression, and defiance. These issues often present themselves in ways that negatively impacts their academic performance, self-esteem, and graduation success. As a result, the students continue in an unending cycle of misbehavior, suspension/expulsion, and failure. The punitive consequences rarely change behavior, so the cycle repeats itself over and over again.
Our "CPR" Program: Conscientiously Participating in Reflecting, Redirecting, and Realizing Appropriate Behavior is designed to give students the opportunity to learn from mistakes instead of instantly receiving punitive consequences. Students take responsibility for their own actions, choices, and behavior through a daily levels program. The “CPR” program extends students the opportunity to reflect on poor choices, be redirected by staff, realize what was done wrong and return to class with the ability to get back on track for the day. The students are rewarded for making positive choices learn to recognize that the positive choices they make are beneficial to them intrinsically and extrinsically. Students earn special privileges by making better decisions and refraining from misbehavior. The program has resulted in a safer environment for students and staff, reduced disciplinary infractions, and improved student attendance.
Conference attendees will receive an outline of our extremely successful “CPR” for Appropriate Behavior program. Our presentation will provide attendees with the tools to replicate our highly effective, inexpensive behavior program along with a step-by-step guide for implementing the program. Attendees will also receive templates, reward suggestions, and professional development resources regarding various collaborative relationships that are integral to the success of the program. They will also have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on activity that will allow them to see how the program actually works. The “CPR” for Appropriate Behavior can easily be implemented in any school setting, but it is especially effective for alternative education students who have behavioral issues that are negatively impacting their success.
Evidence
Research indicates that constant disciplinary infractions, suspensions/expulsions, and other punitive measures are not effective. Students need the opportunity to learn skills and strategies to manage their own behavior in order to change behavior. Our "CPR" for Appropriate Behavior has resulted in fewer disciplinary infractions, detentions, suspensions, and expulsions. Out-of-class time for students has been cut in half. As a result, we have seen an increase in academic performance, improvement in student attitudes toward school, and increased motivation to follow rules and meet expectations.
Biographical Sketch
1. Terecia Gill, Ed. S. has over 30 years public school experience. She has been a teacher, assistant principal, program supervisor, and is currently the principal at a multifaceted alternative learning center located in Spotsylvania, Virginia. Ms. Gill is an innovative, assertive, well structured leader able to motivate students, teachers, parents, and colleague. She has also presented at numerous national, state, and local conferences.
2. Karen Washington has 25 years teaching experience in both middle and high school settings working with diverse populations. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education, a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction, an Educational Specialist Degree in Reading Education. Mrs. Washington currently serves as an English Teacher in the alternative education program in Spotsylvania, VA.
Keyword Descriptors
alternative, students at-risk, behavior, dropout prevention, suspension, expulsion
Presentation Year
2019
Start Date
3-5-2019 4:00 PM
End Date
3-5-2019 5:30 PM
Recommended Citation
Washington, Karen and Gill, Terecia, ""CPR": Conscientiously Participating in Reflecting, Redirecting, and Realizing Appropriate Behavior" (2019). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 185.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2019/2019/185
"CPR": Conscientiously Participating in Reflecting, Redirecting, and Realizing Appropriate Behavior
Poster Session (Harborside)
Our "CPR" Program: Conscientiously Participating in Reflecting, Redirecting, and Realizing Appropriate Behavior provides positive behavior supports and rewards that encourage students to take responsibility for their actions, choices, and behavior. Students determine their own success!
