Effectiveness of School Wide Programs
Tanika Smith
4/16/2013
Dr. Hill EDUC 3132
Fort Valley State University College of Education
Recently schools have adopted new behavioral programs issued by The Center of Positive Behavioral Interventions. These programs offer information for school wide programs that teaches students to model good behavior such as a workshop that teaches students the positive way to respond to a situation with a bully. These programs are set up with the goals of decreasing behavioral problems, office referrals, and suspensions; increasing on task engagement and academic achievement. (Bray) But how do these programs effect classroom management and create equity for all students in a classroom? And what systems and supports must be in place to ensure that all children are successful?
In the classroom these programs are set up to improve students ability to remain in their seats, raise their hands to answer questions, stay on task, work quietly, basically keep the class running smoothly. The intended out come for these in class programs als,o include students learning to use self monitoring strategies and the frequent use of prosocial behaviors when interacting with other students. These programs also help to show teachers distractions such as physical space and arrangement of physical materials on student classroom behaviors that facilitate learning. ((Frisby, Maher & Strein, 1991))
School-wide programs are set up with the basis of effecting schools but not inside the classroom for example student’s behavior in the hallways, cafeteria, library, etc. The main goals of these programs are decrease in school vandalism, suspensions, office referrals. These programs are also set up to help improve the behavior of the teachers because they are considered models for the students the changes that usually have to be made by the teachers are the use of encouragement or positive reinforcement, changes in teachers' classroom management behaviors, or changes in teachers' ability to effectively respond to serious classroom disruptions. ((Frisby, Maher & Strein, 1991))
All of these programs help the teachers manage their classroom because the students know that they are expected to behave, be on task, and work hard. And studies have shown that using