For those who are interested in preventing school violence, here’s a reminder of a resource that I expect will be generating more and more helpful products in the coming years: the Consortium To Prevent School Violence (CPSV).
The Consortium to Prevent School Violence (CPSV) seeks to promote the effective implementation of school violence prevention practices that are:
- Based in high-quality scientific research
- Proven to prevent and reduce school violence
Following the school shootings of Fall 2006, a group of 20 researchers and practitioners in the field of school violence prevention collaborated on the creation of a position statement on the school shootings. In the process, it became apparent that an alliance of researchers and practitioners in school violence prevention to further the common goal of reducing school violence would be highly valuable
Although some of the recommendations are pretty generic (i.e., do not offer specific directions or procedures for implementation), the project is moving in potentially valuable directions. There is a strong emphasis on research and empirical evidence.
Link to the CSPV site.
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The effects of rewards on people’s test scores has been the subject of many studies. Under the headline “Learn-&-Earn Plan Pays Off: Scores Soar At Cash-For-Kids Schools” In The New York Post Kelly Magee and Yoav Gonen reported about the results of a program that rewarded students for obtaining higher scores on tests.
An overwhelming number of schools participating in a controversial program that pays kids for good grades saw huge boosts — up to nearly 40 percentage points higher — in reading and math scores this year, a Post analysis found.
About two-thirds of the 59 high-poverty schools in the Sparks program — which pays seventh-graders up to $500 and fourth-graders as much as $250 for their performance on a total of 10 assessments — improved their scores since last year’s state tests by margins above the citywide average.
The gains at some schools approached 40 percentage points.
The report about the effects of this public policy intervention for improving students’ scores is news, at least at present. However, it turns out that these sorts of data have been available for quite a while.
Continue reading ‘Rewarding test scores’
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Over on EBD Blog I’ve posted copies of statements by the Council for Children with Behavior Disorders regarding use of seclusion and restraint. Jump to the post.
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Hooray for US National Public Radio! In a follow-up to the segment of Talk of the Nation that aired yesterday, there are notes about “Discipline Success Stories.” According to the page, “NPR Producer Susannah George asked some additional educators and counselors to tell her a story about a child who acted out, and what they did to diffuse the situation.” The results include comments by George Sugai (PBIS) and Bev Johns (personal experience).
Link to the coverage.
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The recent discussions in the press and the US Congress about seclusion and restraint prompted me to draft these preliminary notes about alternatives that are available to school personnel. Generally, one does not need to resort to putting students in isolation or holding them to the ground.
Schools that employ evidence-based practices have a wealth of alternatives to physical seclusion or restraint. These methods range from plain, old good teaching to systematic analysis of the functions that misbehaviors serve. In the next few paragraphs, I present laconic descriptions of these.
Continue reading ‘Notes about reducing misbehavior’
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Teases for the US National Public Radio show “Talk of the Nation” (TOTN) say that it will devote a segment of today’s show to seclusion and restraint. TOTN usually features a guest or two who discuss the topic with host Neal Conan and answer questions from listeners who call or send e-mail to the show.
The Web page for TOTN does not indicate the contents of today’s show, so things might change (or I might simply have it wrong). However, it is noted elsewhere on the NPR site:
Teaching Troubled Kids
When it comes to teaching children with behavioral disorders, handcuffs, tape, and isolation are tools of discipline used in some classrooms. NPR reporter Joe Shapiro reported on these disciplinary methods for Morning Edition earlier this week. Shapiro will continue the discussion in our second hour and take a look at how teachers discipline students with learning disabilities.
If TOTN does devote a segment to seclusion and restraint, I shall be listening and, perhaps, participating. I hope others will, too. And I hope that Mr. Conan and Mr. Shapiro help parents and educators acquire balanced, sensible, humane perspectives on the use of behavior modification procedures. The live segment of the show is recorded from 2:00-4:00 PM, Eastern US time.
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