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In our collective work to reduce absenteeism, Southern Oregon ESD (SOESD) is focusing on shifting ways of being and doing in schools in an effort to align schools with the needs and aspirations of students and their families they serve. Central to this effort is creating the systems and supports needed to ensure that our schools are places where every student, educator, and family member knows they are safe, they belong, and that they matter. Since October 2018, SOESD has been supporting trainings in Positive Discipline in the Classroom, an integrated Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)-Discipline program that is trauma-informed and culturally-sensitive. Developed by Jane Nelsen and Lynn Lott, this research-based program is designed to build strong communities by building skills in both adults and young people to be respectful and resourceful contributing members of their communities. The curriculum aligns completely with the criteria set out by Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) while also supporting educators with tools for maintaining firmness and structures necessary to keep a school healthy. There is a parallel program for parents to support families that can be led by parents in the community after a two-day training.
Our primary resource for this work has been Jody McVittie, MD, a Positive Discipline Lead Trainer and founder of Sound Discipline, a Seattle-based non-profit that has expanded this work and supported whole school implementations in Washington for 12 years. Her deep experience working with a variety of public schools (K-12) with diverse populations makes her a valuable resource for our region. Since October 2018, Dr. McVittie has offered five two-day trainings in Positive Discipline in the Classroom attended by educators from multiple districts.
Butte Falls School District has been able to train nearly their entire staff and have implemented changes district-wide. Superintendent Phil Long has credited the drastic drop in their chronic absenteeism rate this year primarily to a culture and climate shift through implementation of the Positive Discipline philosophy since August of 2019.
Here’s a breakdown of Butte Falls School District’s Chronic Absenteeism (CA) data over the past two years:
37.0%: 2017-18 CA Rate
30.0%: 2018-19 CA Rate
19.2%: November 2019 CA Rate
Congratulations, Butte Falls School District!
Why is implementing the philosophy of Positive Discipline so impactful to school climate and culture? Because educators learn:
- How to become a classroom leader instead of a classroom “manager.”
- The importance of self-regulation in a classroom and how to make self-regulation part of a routine so there is brain space for learning.
- Ways to increase a sense of belonging in their classrooms.
- How to help students “get” that they matter – to their teacher and their classmates.
- How to create a shared vision for the space so the teacher is not always the “enforcer” of rules.
- How to teach students about their brain so they can understand their own behavior better and be more helpful to others.
- How to engage in authentic problem solving both one on one and with groups of students.
After a day spent with facilitator Jody McVittie (this 5 minute video illustrates her work in a nutshell), the Southern Region’s Regional Capacity Builder, Kirsten Valenzuela, asked district teams to gather and agree on a statement that used this sentence frame: “Our district team used to think ______. Now we think ______.” Some of the responses included:
- We used to think that we could not improve our chronic absenteeism rate. Now we think that if we have courage and we are kind, we can improve attendance district-wide.
- We used to think there was no hope and no other way of doing things. Now we think that we can support our kids and families, rather than punish them.
- We used to think that we needed to notify parents. Now we think that we need to encourage and support them.
- We used to think that behavior was annoying. Now we see that behavior is a solution to another problem.
Chronic absenteeism is a complex problem – and the responsibility doesn’t lie completely with students and their families. When schools shift their cultures to include dignity and respect, when they work to help ensure that students are connected and know they matter, students will naturally attend school more regularly.
Shifting school culture is not an easy fix. In Southern Oregon we are now finding tools to support schools and their educators so that they can work effectively together to build stronger school communities in which students feel safe, know they belong and that they matter. The early data is coming in and the approach is making a difference for attendance. More importantly, it is making a difference for our children and educators every single day.
For more information on this approach to improving climate and culture in your schools, please contact Southern Oregon Regional Capacity Builder Kirsten Valenzuela.
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