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## Breadcrumb

            -  Evidence for Program Improvement 
            -  Externalizing Academic-Educational 
            -           Focus School Structure      

# Focus School Structure

## Outcome

### Externalizing Behavior

## Intervention Family

### Academic-Educational Interventions

 Academic-Educational Interventions             Focus on school structure            Emphasize appropriate classroom behavior             General personal or social support      

## Focus on School Structure

## Evidence

The 21 academic-educational interventions **focused on school structure**showed greater reductions in externalizing behavior than those focused on tutoring and academic supports or career and vocational topics.
If you are a school-based academic-educational program seeking to address youth behavior problems, consider ways to create smaller or more cohesive groups of students for part or all of the school day. Schooling in smaller structural units, whether in small schools or schools-within-schools, may yield a number of benefits: teachers are better able to adjust the curriculum and learning environment, behavior is more easily managed, and students feel a stronger sense of connection. Perhaps most importantly, teachers can better monitor students’ performance, assess students’ strengths and weaknesses, and provide greater individualized attention.

The youth served by the interventions contributing evidence to this recommendation usually had academic difficulties, often combined with behavior problems. Interventions of this type may offer specific services to help address academic struggles, such as one-on-one instruction, subject-specific tutoring, or individualized education programs. They also provide additional non-academic supports to address behavioral and other needs, such as counseling, assistance with interpersonal skills, and connections to essential social services.
Assess Feasibility- Program structure.. .  	Assess your program structure to determine if there are opportunities to create smaller units for instruction or learning. Are there activities or parts of your program that are adaptable to a different schooling structure? Is the program structure amenable to changes in the length of time spent on a specific subject or task?
- Needs assessment. .  	Consider conducting an assessment of students’ needs, both academic and non-academic. Are there specific types of issues or struggles your students face?
- Resources. .  	Explore internal and external resources to assist with students’ nonacademic needs. Are there local social service agencies that could assist in providing services to students?
Take Action
Consider any of the following courses of action depending on the results of your feasibility assessment:
- Provide academic instruction in formats other than traditional classroom Explore alternative options, such as individual or group tutoring sessions, one-on-one instruction, or small group formats. Consider other forms of pedagogy, such as cooperative learning, small- group instruction, or hands-on learning.
- Increase the amount of time spent on learning. Often this change can be done through lengthened class periods or back-to-back classes on the same subject (block scheduling).
- Provide non-academic services to help address students’ needs.  Counseling supports – delivered by teachers or specialized staff – may address school attitudes and behavior problems.
- Consider offering assistance with social services  and other formal supports
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