Overview

Mission Statement

To create a positive and supportive learning environment where students develop the skills to engage in responsible decision making, that promotes the development of meaningful relationships throughout the school community, and allows students to reach their full academic potential in the general education setting.

Philosophy of the Program

The STRIVE program is built on the philosophy that kids will do well if they can, and if a child is struggling or presenting with challenging behavior it is because they are lacking the necessary skills to do otherwise. Thus, the STRIVE program is designed to promote social and emotional skill development along with academic learning within a safe, structured learning environment intended to address the needs of the whole child. The program is based upon the belief that mistakes and inappropriate choices offer vitally important teaching moments and allow for an integration of social/emotional learning and academics throughout the school day.

Social and emotional learning is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Research has consistently demonstrated that the integration of academic and social/emotional learning not only increases prosocial behaviors and improves student attitudes towards school, but it also improves overall academic achievement.

Within the STRIVE program a community of professionals will work collaboratively and proactively with each of the students and their parents in order to identify individual needs, set goals for becoming successful students, and provide strategies for reaching those goals. Academic, group counseling and individual counseling components of the program are integrated to meet the individual needs of each of the students. Students will be provided with daily lessons that teach social/emotional skills, and they will be given opportunities to reinforce use of those skills throughout the school day. Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making are emphasized in class lessons and individual counseling sessions.

The STRIVE program will also utilize a structured behavioral program in the form of a leveled point system to assist students in making positive academic and behavioral changes. The points- based behavior system will allow each student the opportunity to earn rewards and provide a daily visual feedback system to assist students in monitoring progress towards their daily goals.