transforming a school culture from consequences to re-engagement compassionate discipline irvington...
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T RA N S F O R M I N G A S C H O O L C U LT U R E F R O M C O N S E Q U E N C E S T O R E - E N G AG E M E N T
COMPASSIONATE DISCIPLINE
Irvington SchoolPortland Public Schools
WORKSHOP OUTCOMES
Participants will:• Be given an outline of the transformative process
used at Irvington, as well as resources and practical tools used with staff and community members.• Be shown what data helped to inform the process,
including disciplinary data that reflected equity concerns in the disciplinary process.• Be shown how disciplinary data can help inform
classroom instruction and equity practices.
SCHOOL BACKGROUND
• Irvington School, Portland Public Schools• K through grade 8• 465 students• Demographics: Asian- 2%, Black- 22%,
Caucasian- 53%, Hispanic- 12%, Multi-racial- 10%• 41% Free and Reduced Lunch, 5% ESL• Historic district, gentrification efforts since the
1980s
BENEFITS
• Experienced staff, average of 18 years experience• Staff does not leave until retirement• Strong community involvement
CHALLENGES
• Experienced staff, “if it ain’t broke, why fix it?”• Strong community involvement, “small town”
style gossip mill• “White flight” from the middle grades/white
families had negative perceptions about students of color• Involvement of families of color does not match
our demographics
MULTIPLE STRAND APPROACH
• Strand #1- School Discipline Plan• Strand #2- Continuing Equity Work• Strand #3- PBIS/School Climate Team (Tier 1)• Strand #4- Student Intervention Team (Tier 2)• Strand #5- Data Review• Strand #6- Community Outreach
STRAND #1: DISCIPLINE PLANSEPTEMBER 2011
• Behaviors split into Stage 1, 2, or 3 categories• Guidelines as to where students should physically
be• Positive Supports and Corrective Consequences • Teacher/Staff responsibilities• Administrative responsibilities• Based off of district policy developed in
coordination with the Portland Association of Teachers• WORK IN PROGRESS!
STRAND #1: DISCIPLINE PLANSEPTEMBER 2011
Whole Staff Efforts (Tier 1)• Early September- Discipline Plan introduced at
opening staff meeting through a PowerPoint presentation, copies given to each staff member• Mid-September- Copies were handed out again
and Teacher/Administrative Responsibilities were reviewed at a staff meeting• Late September- Discipline Plan was reviewed at
a staff meeting
STRAND #1: DISCIPLINE PLANON-GOING, 2011-2012
Whole Staff Efforts (Tier 1)• Periodic reminders about discipline procedures
• Individual consultations with teachers regarding:-cause/function of behavior-intent-what consequence would prevent the
behavior from happening again and/or address the underlying need?
STRAND #1: DISCIPLINE PLANON-GOING, 2011-2012
Individual Efforts (Tier 2)• Individual consultations with teachers and
parents regarding:-cause/function of behavior-intent-what consequence would prevent the
behavior from happening again and/or address the underlying need?• Behavior reports given back with reminders of
procedures and examples of correctly completed behavior reports
STRAND #1: DISCIPLINE PLANMAY 2012
• Annual Discipline Plan review required by Teacher’s Association• Discipline Plan approved by staff
STRAND #1: DISCIPLINE PLANSEPTEMBER 2012
• New Behavior Report form developed with part of PPS PBIS Team: Tammy Jackson, Jeremy Geschwind, Todd Nicholson, Drew Laurence• New Behavior Report form presented to staff• PBIS Coach Jeremy Geschwind did a one hour
presentation on the function of behavior
STRAND #2: EQUITYBACKGROUND
• PPS “Initiative” to work with Glenn Singleton and train district employees in “Courageous Conversations” and cultural competency
• Examine data with a racial/ethnic lens• Ensure equitable access to education for all students in
PPS• Irvington is a “Beacon” school in this work- one of the first
schools in PPS to begin whole staff Courageous Conversations five years ago
• 2 hour staff trainings every month, Equity Team, CARE Team, and parent groups
• Courageous Conversations protocol is foundational to every meeting
STRAND #2: EQUITYOCTOBER 2011/ON-GOING
• Worked with the staff to focus on getting “below the line” information about students during the two hour in-service time• Circumstances/situations that can have a direct
effect, positive or negative, on student behavioral and/or academic success
STRAND #2: EQUITYFEBRUARY 2012
• Examination of first and second quarter disciplinary data during two hour in-service time• Staff saw that even though only 47% of our
students are students of color, 89% of referrals/Behavior Reports were written for students of color• Staff discussion about why this had occurred and
what could be done to change it
STRAND #2: EQUITYAPRIL 2012
• Examination of students of color who were not being successful academically and/or behaviorally• Reflection on what “below the line” information
was known about those students
STRAND #2: EQUITYSEPTEMBER 2012
• Staff reminded about the importance of getting “below the line” information• Experienced staff explained this concept to new
staff• Staff members were given time to make
positive/outreach phone calls home
STRAND #3: PBIS/SCHOOL CLIMATE OVERVIEW
• School Climate Team held monthly meetings• 4 days of training with Susan Isaacs from the Safe
and Civil Schools Foundation (PPS Initiative)• PPS PBIS Coach support from Jeremy Geschwind• Focus on “Integrity Takes 5” Guidelines and Tier 1
supports• Monthly lessons developed to reinforce “Integrity
Takes 5”
STRAND #3: PBIS/SCHOOL CLIMATE OCTOBER 2011
• CHAMPS module workshop- “Building Positive Relationships with Students” during staff meeting
-Focus on giving students non-contingent attention-3 to 1 Ratio of Interactions (3 positives
interactions for every negative interaction)
STRAND #3: PBIS/SCHOOL CLIMATE MARCH-JUNE 2012
Staff input and eventual approval given for:• Individual student reward system• Monday announcements that reinforce focus for
the month• School-wide Spirit Day assemblies
STRAND #3: PBIS/SCHOOL CLIMATE NEXT STEPS 2012-13
• CHAMPS classroom management training, including classwide motivators• Continued common area assessment and
redesign• Continued work on Tier 2 school supports
STRAND #4: STUDENT INTERVENTION TEAM (SIT)
OCTOBER 2011• Explanation at staff meeting that the Student
Intervention Team was a general education body, not a special education referral team• Before students can be referred to SIT, teachers
have to show evidence of multiple interventions
STRAND #4: STUDENT INTERVENTION TEAM (SIT)
OCTOBER 2012• Review of SIT Team expectations and
requirements• Emphasis on need for academic and/or behavioral
data
STRAND #5: DATA REVIEWON-GOING
• Staff had not been used to reviewing data• Data review (specific to particular grades) slowly
introduced at grade level meetings (K-5), and Team meetings (6-8)• School-wide data reviewed at staff meetings.
Staff participated in problem-solving.
STRAND #6: COMMUNITY OUTREACH2011-2012
• Formation of a committee of teachers, parents, and administrators• Committee purpose was initially to examine why
so many students were leaving the school after the 5th grade• Once changes were made, the committee
purpose became to unify the school as a K-8 unit• Parents became part of the solution
ANECDOTAL RESULTS
• Staff understanding of “below the line” information has led to staff members being proactive when a student appears to be struggling
• Administration is spending more time working with students before issues occur as opposed to after receiving a Behavior Report
• Fewer students in the hallway during instructional time
• Much calmer during transitions• Positive comments from parents• Parents really did get positive phone calls!