Third, by failing to focus on improving social competence, programs will not help develop the skills necessary to sustain positive behavior change and to sustain a positive, safe environment that is more conducive to learning and socialization. Successful programs alter the school climate . Programs that work over the long term have a goal of changing the school climate and culture. This is not to say that paying attention to individual children at risk for engaging in problem behaviors is ineffective. Rather, simply relying on a strategy that identifies and treats individual children should be but one component of a systematic attempt to improve school climate overall.
Successful programs are comprehensive, intensive, and flexible .
Programs that work are intensely sensitive to the needs of the children and families they serve and the unique circumstances that must be addressed in a specific school, for specific children and staff members, and in a specific neighborhood. Many of the basic principles identified here as components of successful programs are necessary and will be effective across contexts, time, and settings. However, in implementing any program or intervention it is crucial not to be overly rigid, as every situation is different, the timing and circumstances vary, and the socio-cultural climate varies across sites, even within the same school system or city. Successful programs increase children's attachment to school, promote their involvement in school activities, and focus on academic achievement. Children who are disengaged from school have little or no investment in acting appropriately while they are there.