What do you do when you've done all you can?
First Presenter's Institution
Tuscaloosa County School System
First Presenter's Brief Biography
Greg Hurst is the Director of Student Services, with the responsibility to assist the 35 schools in the Tuscaloosa County School System with decreasing student discipline and increasing student attendance. In addition, he oversees McKinney Vento students and is the district’s Safety Coordinator. He provides urgently needed assistance to protect and improve the lives and safety of the homeless, with special emphasis on families with children. In his previous role with the Tuscaloosa County School System, he served as Principal of Lloyd Wood Middle School. He was responsible for developing standardized curricula; assess teaching methods, monitoring student achievement, encouraging parent involvement, revising procedures, administering the budget, hiring and evaluating staff and overseeing facilities. Before his promotion by the Tuscaloosa County School System, he served as physical education teacher at several elementary schools, where he was instrumental in providing motivation and encouragement to students. This means being receptive to the needs of individual students while still pushing everyone to strive and succeed. The real long-term duty is to educate children and help them develop an awareness of the importance of a healthy overall lifestyle. While teaching at Holt Elementary, Greg coached middle school and high school basketball at Holt High School. He was responsible for assisting the head coach, character development and providing direction to student athletes so that they might achieve a high level of skill. Moreover, displaying an appreciation for discipline, sportsmanship and teamwork in basketball. Greg holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Alabama A&M University, a Master’s Degree from the University of West Alabama, and an ED.S Degree from the University of Montevallo.
Document Type
Event
Primary Strand
Positive Behavior Interventions and Support
Relevance to Primary Strand
The proposal will focus on interventions for students who need more intense interventions and students who are considered at risk students. What do you do with the student who creates an environment in your school that is not conducive for learning? You create a non-traditional educational environment for those students whose unique situation and/or needs are not fully addressed within the constraints of the traditional school program.
It is the belief that
- high expectations are necessary to achieve goals and expand opportunities for all.
- education is a shared responsibility that positively impacts the quality of life.
- equity, fairness, accountability, and fiscal responsibility are foundations of our decision-making.
- safe, well-equipped, student-centered schools support student success.
- diversity and individual learning needs are respected, included and valued.
It is these beliefs that serve as the foundation for creating alternative academic/administrative options for students who have violated the Student Code of Conduct and/or may need an alternate learning environment to the traditional school setting.
Alignment with School Improvement Plan Topics
Climate and Culture
Brief Program Description
The presentation will address the needs of students who have been unsuccessful in the regular or general education programs. The presentation is intended to lead students toward success of remaining in school and earning their high school diploma, through the use of innovative teaching techniques, greater access to counseling services, individualized instruction, flexible scheduling, lower student/teacher ratios, and a more supportive environment.
Summary
The presentation will focus on strategies and interventions used in the Tuscaloosa County School System and our 4 alternative programs to improve student behavior and improve attendance. The alternative programs are the following:
BETHEL, SPAN, TCSS Academy, and GRAD Academy.
We are confident these programs are an asset. The programs are not only beneficial to our students, but also increases his/her confidence, moral, behavior, and motivation to enhance his/her future. Our goal as educators are for all students to succeed.
In addition, the presentation will focus on the needs of students who have been unsuccessful in the regular or general education program in the Tuscaloosa County School System. The programs are intended to lead students toward success of remaining in school and earning their high school diploma through the use of innovative teaching techniques, greater access to counseling services, individualized instruction, flexible scheduling, lower student/teacher ratios and a more supportive environment.
Focus Items
- Increase graduation rate and decrease the dropout rate
- Increase the number of academic credits earned
- Reduction in absences
- Increase grade point averages
- Reduce behavioral problems and office referrals
- 10 year comparative study
The target audience will be administrators, teachers, counselors, and central office staff.
The take a ways are the following:
- The importance of developing partnerships with the community to assist students
- Understanding the importance of alternative education
- How to initiate strategies and interventions that will promote an environment that is conducive to learning.
Evidence
Based on the Whole Child approach students who are academically successful with positive mental well-being and social health - achieve higher graduation rates, contribute to the community, and lead happy, productive lives. Therefore, we believe in character. Character is extremely crucial in the success of any student. Whole Child and Suite 360 are programs used to teach soft skills and warm welcomes in our school district, which contribute to the success of students in the regular class setting. Our alternative programs provide expelled students and suspended students an opportunity to develop positive social behaviors and keep up with the academics in a structured or virtual environment. Life skill classes address the student’s ability to promote making wise decisions, job readiness, and health issues.
The presentation will focus on the needs of students who have been unsuccessful in the regular or general education program in the Tuscaloosa County School System. The programs are intended to lead students toward success of remaining in school and earning their high school diploma through the use of innovative teaching techniques, greater access to counseling services, individualized instruction, flexible scheduling, lower student/teacher ratios and a more supportive environment.
Learning Objective 1
Understanding how to improve attendance
Learning Objective 2
Understand how to improve student behavior
Learning Objective 3
Prepare students for success with interventions and strategies
Recommended Citation
Hurst, Greg Mr., "What do you do when you've done all you can?" (2023). Southeast Conference on School Climate. 38.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/secsc/2023/2023/38
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
What do you do when you've done all you can?
The presentation will focus on strategies and interventions used in the Tuscaloosa County School System and our 4 alternative programs to improve student behavior and improve attendance. The alternative programs are the following:
BETHEL, SPAN, TCSS Academy, and GRAD Academy.
We are confident these programs are an asset. The programs are not only beneficial to our students, but also increases his/her confidence, moral, behavior, and motivation to enhance his/her future. Our goal as educators are for all students to succeed.
In addition, the presentation will focus on the needs of students who have been unsuccessful in the regular or general education program in the Tuscaloosa County School System. The programs are intended to lead students toward success of remaining in school and earning their high school diploma through the use of innovative teaching techniques, greater access to counseling services, individualized instruction, flexible scheduling, lower student/teacher ratios and a more supportive environment.
Focus Items
- Increase graduation rate and decrease the dropout rate
- Increase the number of academic credits earned
- Reduction in absences
- Increase grade point averages
- Reduce behavioral problems and office referrals
- 10 year comparative study
The target audience will be administrators, teachers, counselors, and central office staff.
The take a ways are the following:
- The importance of developing partnerships with the community to assist students
- Understanding the importance of alternative education
- How to initiate strategies and interventions that will promote an environment that is conducive to learning.
