Amid a rise in punishment of Georgia's elementary school students for fighting and vandalism, educators in three metro Atlanta school districts are working to reduce bad behavior and hoping to also improve student performance.
Two elementary schools in each of the Atlanta, DeKalb and Fulton school systems are involved in the three-year program. It’s funded, in part, through a three-year, $1.6 million grant from the David, Helen and Marian Woodward Fund, one of the philanthropic partners of the Get Georgia Reading Campaign.
Educators involved recognized that to improve reading among elementary school students, they had to improve classroom behavior.
Disciplinary action for fighting in Georgia’s elementary schools has increased by slightly more than 8 percent over the last three school years, according to the data. School discipline for vandalism has increased by nearly 8 percent during the same time frame.
Suspensions and expulsions of even kindergarten students has been on the rise in Georgia's four largest school districts — Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett.
The program, which started this school year, uses a program called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports that trains teachers to focus on encouraging a child’s good behavior rather than criticizing a student who misbehaves.
“It transfers to the children. They make better decisions,” said Lisa Lewis, a counselor at DeKalb’s Toney Elementary School, which is in the program.
Most teachers have embraced the program, but some still find it difficult to buy in to the initiative, those involved in the effort say. Supporters believe they’ll convert more of them, perhaps with something as simple as a Tiger Paw.
Faculty at DeKalb County’s Toney Elementary School hand out Tiger Paws, red, orange and yellow, Monopoly-like money for good behavior. The students cash them in at the school for treats. School leaders there say they don’t have data that shows whether disciplinary action has declined this school year, but principal Oliver Dean says he sees fewer students in his office.
“We wanted that culture change,” said Dean, explaining why he wanted to get the school involved in the effort.
A grant pays for a coach to help train teachers how to administer PBIS. Teachers discuss principles, such as kindness, respect and friendship, with students. Posters throughout the school are overt reminders of how students should treat each other. The school has a board near the front entrance with grateful messages for acts, such as returning a jacket.
Faculty meet frequently to discuss potential trouble. For example, a disruptive student may be acting out because he’s hiding the fact that he’s having trouble reading.
“We use our data to help us become more well-informed about that student,” Kishia Towns, DeKalb’s PBIS coordinator.
On Friday, the school had its monthly parade for students who achieved perfect attendance.
Supporters scoff at skepticism that PBIS is nothing more than a feel-good program with little impact.
“I’ll say it is a feel-good program,” Towns said. “If you are going to be in an environment for eight hours, don’t you want to feel good?”
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