CONSULTATION PROJECT:

HELPING KIDS GET ALONG

LDR 696Kristin Threet

CLIENTMadison Middle School

Adrian, MI

CLIENTMadison Middle School

Title One School 60% of student body

receives free or reduced lunch

Third largest district in Lenawee County 1,592 students DK-12

Student Body 60% Caucasian 25% Hispanic 7% Asian, African

American, Native American

ENTRY AND CONTRACTING

Initial MeetingSetting up contract

ENTRY AND CONTRACTING

Initial Meeting Explore the problem

Technology has made mean/aggressive behavior more available

No longer part of growing up, has become a dangerous phenomenon

Client Expectations To incorporate and apply stricter policy of

mean/aggressive behavior

Consultant Expectations Access to students, teachers, administrators, support

staff, and behavior reports for collecting data

ENTRY AND CONTRACTING Setting up the contract

The Boundaries of Your Analysis What problem/possibility you are going to focus on

Objectives of the Project Identifies the organizational improvements you expect

if consultation is successful

The Product You Will Deliver Specifics about what you are offering

Time Schedule Start time, intermediate mileposts, and completion date

PROBLEMProblem through the eyes of the client

Problem through the eyes of the consultant

PROBLEM In the eyes of

the client:

Mean/aggressive behavior incidents have increased

Reports of bullying incidents increased

In the eyes of the consultant

Education of students, parents, teachers, and administrators needs to increase

Lack of school-wide policy

ANALYSIS & DECISION TO ACT

Collect and Analyze DataHow will client be involvedFeedback: Reporting Data

Planning: Setting goals. Action Steps.

COLLECT AND ANALYZE DATA

Survey students and parentsAnonymousLarge amounts of feedback

Sample Questions I believe no student ever

deserves to be picked on If I saw a target being

picked on, I would try to help in some way

I have been picked on by a student in this building

I would report it to an adult if I were being picked on and I couldn’t make it stop.

I don’t want name calling based on body shape or appearance.

HOW WILL CLIENT BE INVOLVED Select the Method

The client has ideas about how the data should be collected. Ask what they are. Talk to students and teachers. Consultant suggests how to go about

Do Discovery Have the client do the discovery with you

Perhaps trusted member of the staff could interview a sample of teachers to determine what they think can be done differently.

There are issues of having client involved in discovery: may not get complete answers, answers may be distorted

FEEDBACK: REPORTING DATA Presentation of findings

Reducing large amounts of data to a manageable number of issues

Have clients report their findings

Present findings to administration, teachers, as well as students.

Different forms needs to meet the needs of the group

PLANNING: SETTING GOALS. ACTION STEPS. Persistence and sustained effort will

result in large benefits:Significant reductions in frequency,

severity, and intensity of student aggressive behaviors

Improved school climatePositive feeling tone Improved staff-student relationships Improved student attitudeBetter performance on academic measuresHappier environment for staff and students

ENGAGEMENT & IMPLEMENTATION

TRANSPARENT PURPOSE Concerns that began the process

Increased amount of mean/aggressive incidents

Where is the change effort now?Have goals, need action steps to make

them happen

Weaknesses and failuresNot sweating the small stuffFull participation of staff

PLATFORM FOR OPENNESS AND DOUBT Right of assembly and freedom of speech

Create platform to allow people to voice their doubts and reservations

Honest, confronting conversations in public setting

“In creating high engagement, it is the expression of doubt that counts, not its resolution. We cannot construct a plan that eliminates all doubts, but we can always acknowledge them” (Block, p. 267)

COMMITMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Peer AccountabilityMore formal peer conversations about

commitments and consequences

Work is eased when we do well, made difficult when we do poorly

We are functionally accountable

Speak for the well-being of the organization

CARRYING OUT THE PLAN Form a subcommittee to coordinate school-wide

activities and policies. School improvement team: teachers, administrators,

board members

Reach consensus as a staff on a definition of mean behavior/aggression Any mean look, gesture, word, or action that hurts a

person’s body, feelings, friendships, reputation, or property.

Create signs with mean behavior/aggression definition and post in classrooms for reference.

CARRYING OUT THE PLAN 15 Second Intervention for staff when they

see mean behavior directly. Pull student aside privately. Use a clam voice. Don’t

argue. Stick to the points below. I saw you _______ (repeat to them what

you saw and heard exactly.)That was mean(hurtful) I would never let someone do that to you,

and its not ok that you did that to _________.

We don’t do that here.That needs to stop

CARRYING OUT THE PLAN Develop a

consequence rubric for mean/aggressive behaviors

Level 1: Verbal or Physical Behavior that is horseplay

Level 2: Teasing- actions that will hurt feelings/body of others

Level 3: Physical contact with intent to hurt others

Level 4: Severe physical contact/harassment

CARRYING OUT THE PLAN Develop an Aggressive

Behavior Report Form for staff to use that mirrors rubric

Where the behavior occurred

Level of behavior that occurred

Consequences

CARRYING OUT THE PLAN Create silent

supervised detention Time to Think Form

What did you do? What was wrong with

that? What problem were you

trying to solve or what goal were you trying to reach?

How will you solve that problem or reach that goal the next time without hurting anyone?

Silent Detention Rules1. Report on time2. Sit up in chair, feet flat

on the floor, look forward.

3. No schoolwork, reading, writing(besides the Time to Think form), or drawing.

4. No talking or non-verbal communication with other students.

5. No chi-chatting with the adult supervisor.

6. No arguing over the Time to think sheet

CARRYING OUT THE PLAN Identify the

meanest students in school, create small daily opportunities for them to be helpful and altruistic

Altruistic Acts: Changes in Behavior Leads to Changes in Attitude

Open/hold doors for classmates

Assist another student with one homework problem

Help the teacher by cleaning the board, running errands, delivering papers to office

Walk someone who is hurt or not feeling well to office

Smiles and say hello to a particular students every day for a week

Give a particular student a compliment

CARRYING OUT THE PLAN “Hot Spots”

At a staff meeting, discuss and identify the locations of “hot spots” in the building and on the grounds where problems with aggression, bullying, and harassment may be occurring more frequently.

Create specific plan for improving adult supervision during high risk times

CARRYING OUT THE PLAN Class Meetings

Discuss behaviors that help or hinder the quality of learning or the quality of classroom life. Everyone has the right to speak. Raise your hand. No

interrupting. You can disagree, but no disrespect or put-downs. Take a risk.

Create structure for regularly scheduled class meetings

Set specific times for these to occur Identify staff who could take a leadership role

and run meetings Create structure for staff to report the outcomes

of these meetings and the concerns that were raised.

CARRYING OUT THE PLAN Feedback

Yearly basis, ensure new staff are trainedPlan for periodic booster skills trainingBe public about what is workingAdvertise your successes

Staff, students, and parents need to know that what they are doing is making a difference.

Specific positive feedback and success stories help everyone stay motivated to continue their efforts

EXTENSION, RECYCLE,

TERMINATION

EXTENSION, RECYCLE, TERMINATION Following implementation a clear picture

emerges:Extend:

The process can be extended to a larger segment of the organization

Recycle: After implementation, the real problem comes to

light. Recycle process and discussed a new contract

Termination: If implementation was huge success or failure,

termination of the project may be in order.

END RESULT Persistence and sustained effort will

result in large benefits:Significant reductions in frequency,

severity, and intensity of student aggressive behaviors

Improved school climatePositive feeling tone Improved staff-student relationships Improved student attitudeBetter performance on academic measuresHappier environment for staff and students

REFERENCES Block, P. (2011). Flawless consulting: A

guide to getting your expertise used (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.