Good Essay On Planning For Emotional Development In School

Jane Doe

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The problem with schools that have poor performance, high levels of truancy, as well as excessive bullying require intervention for a shift in school productivity and function. One must examine several different factors that are crucial to successful results in minimizing these types of issues that many schools have a reputation for, throughout the United States. An evidence-based initiative is one part that the writer will examine, as well as understanding for what type of strategies can help evaluate the success of the program. Another significant obstacle to achieving this plan will be from the challenges that arise in dealing with the teachers, parents, and students. Culture also influences the response of all involved in tackling the mission.

The Initiative

The evidence-based initiative that the writer suggests for implementation in the reduction of poor performance, truancy, and bullying in schools would be the On Campus Intervention Program (OCIP). “The On-Campus Intervention Programs (OCIP) were developed collaboratively by the Pinellas County School System and the Family Resource Center, with support of a great number of other entities interested in finding alternatives to the high rates of suspension and drop-out in the school system” (Massey, Telleen, Kim, Stewart-Nava, Mahr, Burroughs, University of South Florida, 2012). The goal of the program was to find a way for troubled students to receive adequate support through the school, versus the usual system of punishment when problems of truancy and bullying arise. The way this would occur is through sending the student to OCIP to catch up on assignments and receive one-on-one tutoring for assistance in learning. The second part of the OCIP program involves counselors, who can work on behavioral issues with the students to help guide the individuals toward a healthier path.

Evaluation of Success

The next step in the implementation of a program such as The On-Campus Intervention Program includes a process of evaluating the results to see how effective the program is. A simple measure to test the success rate of the program is available through surveying teachers and administrators of the schools using the program. There is also the obvious method of focus groups that observe the students who are placed in the OCIP, to evaluate their productivity and results as they continue on in their education. The process is lengthy, but will provide an accurate account of the success rate of the intervention program.

Challenges

Not only is the application of an efficacious program a demanding task, but challenges involving teachers, parents, and students will also transpire. The writer will explore an example of an obstacle that could present itself from the three different groups involved.
The next group that may be a barrier in the execution of the program(s) are parents. One assumes that the parents have the children’s best interest in mind when it comes to education; however, not all parents have the child’s education as a priority in life. Whether the school is facing parents who are supportive to their children or not, the challenge is real and must be taken into account for ideal application of a program like OCIP. One of the key factors in attaining desirable results will be through educating the parents on the importance of their role in their child’s life, as well as involvement through communication with the school system.
Lastly the students’ compliance is one of the final keys to the puzzle in the program success rate. Students may be the most difficult challenges in the earlier stage of the introduction of the concept. They may resist the idea of being sent to a separate place, where they are to keep working on their academics with close monitoring. The more conventional system of school suspension is one that the students prefer since they do not have to attend school. It is the easier way out, whereas the new option forces them to face their education regardless of the trouble they have made. Similar to the parents, the children must actually understand the value of their studies to comply with the new changes in the school policy.

Culture

One of the considerations in the way the teachers, parents, and students respond to new programs, is the culture of the school. The writer wants to point out what kind of attitude teachers, parents, and students have in places where high security is a standard culture of the school. When students are walking through metal detectors and searched by security guards, there is a negative impact on the individuals who are subject to such treatment. The response and behavior in this culture will be challenges as implementation of programs like OCIP are incorporated.
The second scenario of the influence of culture is based on immigrants who have moved from another country and are unfamiliar with the culture in the American schools. Not only is the situation of the previous country a factor to consider, but also the educational availability for the child in his or her native country. For example, the children of refugees are often coming from a violent society where education was minimal, which makes them vulnerable to the challenges presented in the paper. Along with the problems associated with the immigrant child, the school may also have a biased view of these children. "Depending on how school authorities perceive a particular culture of origin and what stereotypes about that culture have currency within institutions, this factor will affect different ethnic groups differently” (Rousseau, Drapeau, Corin, E. 1996).
The entire goal in proposing a positive emotional development program for high-risk schools is a complex issue with an extensive amount of work required for successful outcomes. One that the writer believes to be crucial for the health of the American society.

Resources

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