The rest of the staff received training after the materials had been in use in the two pilot classrooms. In the fall of 1999 the Woodcock-Johnson test will be given again to measure student progress. New this year was our parent support group, which sponsored a luncheon to help get parents acquainted with the school and with one another. Each classroom meets weekly with the social worker or psychologist. In small groups, students analyze the thinking processes that lead to decisions, both good and bad.
Students are also able to participate in exercises that boost self-esteem.
All of the professional staff became familiar with the program and have contributed to a supplementary binder of self-esteem related activities that complement the curriculum. Students who are placed in time-out are now interviewed prior to going back to class. This gives each student the chance to express the reasons for time-out and what could be done to avoid it in the future. This interview is now included on the time-out log sheet for each student. The committee also addressed student safety by developing tighter guidelines for leaving campus.