Positive Action Center

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Positive Action Center: An Innovative Approach to Discipline Management

What We Know Nationwide

• Each school day 7,000 students dropout of school

• 1 out of 3 students do not graduate

• 3 out of 4 state prison inmates did not graduate high school

• Students who drop out are 3 times more likely to fall into poverty

• Each drop out earns approximately 35% less annually than those who graduate

National Statistics

• In 2003, 26 of the largest school districts in America graduated fewer than 6 out of 10 students

Graduation Rates for Our Largest Districts

•Detroit – 21.7%•Baltimore – 38.5%•New York City – 38.9%•Milwaukee – 43.1%•Cleveland – 43.8%•Chicago – 52.2%•Dallas – 46.3%•Los Angeles – 44.2%

Every 29 seconds a student gives up on school

The Cost in Texas

• Texas has 119,000 dropouts each year• Taxpayers in Texas spend $3,168

annually per drop-out for their lifetime

(Medicaid costs, incarceration costs, and loss of tax revenue)

119,000 x $3,168 =

$377,000,000 per year

The Cost in Texas

Example:• The 2007 class of drop-outs will

cost the state $377 million this year and every year after for the rest of their lives

The Cost in Texas

Why do kids drop out or flunk out of school?

Why do kids go to ISS and AEP?

What does ISS or AEP look like in your District?

Students in ISS or AEP:• Get behind on assignments• Miss critical instruction• Feel picked on or targeted• Feel isolated • Feel disliked and insignificant• Continue the behavior• If habitual, fall into the category of “throw

away kid“• Are negatively impacted by their peers

What If?

Students could come back from ISS or AEP:• Feeling significant and validated• Able to identify and communicate their

needs• Able to express feelings• Able to explore solutions• With new problem-solving techniques• With a plan to be successful

The Answer: Positive Action Center

Goals:• Reduce number of students referred to

ISS/AEP • Improve decision making skills• Develop better communication skills• Develop problem solving skills• Develop improved listening skills• Build resiliency skills• Reduce violence

How it works!

• Voluntary process• A student mentor works with the student to

build an action plan that allows them to take responsibility and find his/her own solutions

• Mentor does not advise, they just listen and help facilitate the process

By following the steps listed above, I will ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Signature: _______________________________ Date:____________Mentor: __________________________________ Date:____________

ACTION PLAN

Expected Outcome

WhoWhereWhenAction

What We See

• Reduction in overall disciplinary referrals• Reduction in student recidivism• Reduction in expulsions• Reduction in dropouts• Reduction in violent outbursts• Improved attendance• Improved classroom management• Improved learning environment

Mentoring for 2006-2007

• 151 Mentors• 686 Mentees• 670 Successful Action Plans

Discipline Referrals

ISS AEP

BeforeMentoring

AfterMentoring

Grade Point Averages

BeforeMentoring

AfterMentoring

Tardies

Number of Tardies

BeforeMentoring

AfterMentoring

70.8% reduction

Absences

Number of Absences

BeforeMentoring

AfterMentoring

53.84% Reduction

What Our Schools Say!

• “It’s amazing how much the kids will open up to their mentors” McKinney Boyd High School Coordinator

• “The students get to develop a relationship with someone they can look up to” Ennis High School Coordinator

• “This program goes hand in hand with Peer Mediation” Duncanville High School Counselor

• “I can’t believe they actually wanted to talk to me” Mentor

Contact Information

Susan.ArmoniExecutive Director

susan.armoni@paxunited.org

Kristin JonesAssociate Executive Director

kristin.jones@paxunited.org

paxUnited – The National Mediation Center®508 Twilight Trail, Suite 99Richardson, Texas 75080

www.paxunited.org

Positive Action Center

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