Problem Solving Center

(previously ISS)

CHEC Problem Solving Center (PSC)

“The most effective PSC is the therapeutic model. Students are asked to reflect on the behavior that earned them time in PSC and to develop a plan for modifying this behavior. They are taught problem solving and conflict resolution skills.”

Purpose

PSC is a constructive learning environment where students get the opportunity to reflect on undesired behavior by understanding why the behavior is inappropriate, setting goals to improve the behavior, and focusing on the ideas of how to effectively rejoin the CHEC community. The purpose of PSC is to work with the student to document, define, and address the problems students encounter to support a learning environment that is safe and optimal for learning. The Problem Solving Center is to serve as an alternative to Out of School Suspension, where a student can be in isolation from the general population while completing assignments under the supervision of the PSC coordinator.

The Goals

·      Reduce the number of out of School Suspensions

·      Provide academic support while disciplinary consequences are enacted.

·      Provide students with skills in conflict resolution.

·      Provide students with counseling and behavioral support.

·      Improve attendance.

·      Decrease dropout rate.

·      Increase academic engagement and academic performance

·      Improve School Climate

Assignment to PSC

Students can only be assigned PSC by a Dean or Administrator. The assignment of PSC should include the infraction and the length of the suspension period.

Responsibilities of the Teacher

Teachers can help by enforcing all school rules and regulations fairly and consistently.  Teachers can provide timely, and detailed data on the infractions of students to help inform consequences. Teachers are asked to provide class work to students assigned to PSC.  Teachers should report students who are not reporting to PSC to Deans.  Upon release from PSC, teachers are asked to provide a warm welcome to students and to facilitate a smooth reentry to class such that students are able to access instruction given their absence.  

At the front end, teachers can help prevent the assignment of students to PSC by: 

·      Establishing clear behavior expectations and guidelines.

·      Focusing on student success and self-esteem.

·      Seeking student input on discipline rules.

·      Using a "systems approach" for prevention, intervention and resolution and developing levels of incremental consequences.

·      Enforcing rules with consistency, fairness, and calmness.

·      Planning lessons that provide realistic opportunities for success for all students.

·      Monitoring the classroom environment continuously to prevent off-task behavior, and student disruptions, and for providing help to students who are having difficulty and supplemental tasks to students who finish work early.

Responsibilities of the Deans/ Administrator

Document referrals to PSC, providing as much information as possible to the PSC coordinator to inform intervention.  Ensure that a recommendation for referral is both warranted and appropriate under DCPS new 5-tier system Discipline System.  Contact parents and request a conference when students have been assigned to PSC.  Deans will provide teachers and parents adequate documentation of the assignment of their child to PSC.  

Because CHEC is committed to instruction, and because PSC is limited in its effectiveness in changing student behavior long term, Deans and Administrators will consider alternative to suspension like those that follow:

Ten Alternatives to Suspension (Peterson, 2005)

·      Problem solving with students to identify alternative behavior choices, and following up with developing a contract that reminds students to engage in a problem-solving process and includes reinforcers for success and consequences for not following the contract

·      Restitution. In-kind restitution, that is directly related to the problem caused by the student’s behavior (e.g., cleaning graffiti) or generally related to improving the school environment (e.g., garden maintenance)

·      Mini-courses or skill modules. These should be on topics related to the inappropriate behavior and should facilitate behavior change

·      Parent involvement/supervision. Better and more frequent communication about issues can be formalized into a disciplinary consequence

·      Counseling to focus on problem solving related to behavioral Issues

·      Community service

·      Behavior monitoring that permits rewards for successful performance of specified objectives

·      Coordinated behavior plans

·      Alternative programming such as permitting the student to make short- or long-term changes in their schedule, taking alternative classes, or participating in independent study or work-experience programs. Students should be able to receive appropriate credit and progress toward graduation

·      Appropriate in-school suspension. To include academic tutoring, skill building related to the behavior problem, and a clearly defined procedure for students returning to class contingent on their progress or behavior

Responsibilities of the PSC Coordinator

The PSC coordinator will:

1.     Welcome/ Intake- Welcome students, explain the purpose, rituals and routines of PSC and complete a student intake--

a.     Name

b.     Grade

c.     Teachers/ Schedule

d.     Advisor

e.     Counselor

f.      Infraction- A detailed description of the circumstances leading to or affecting the infraction

g.     The frequency of the students stay in PSC or of similar infractions

h.     Other students involved 

2.     Ensure legal right to instruction-  Collect work for the student, facilitate student work log, supervise/ conference with students and keep them on task providing tutoring or help with the work when necessary. In all cases, regardless of the length of stay, students are required by law and are responsible for completing whatever class work possible while in PSC.  Students will complete Work Log Forms where they will identify their learning goals for the day.  When a student is assigned in advance to PSC, teachers will be asked to submit a work log form for students assigned to PSC the day previous.  In the event that students are assigned before work can be collected, the PSC coordinator will contact teachers and obtain work from them the day of their assignment. If for any reason a student is without assignments, or completes their assignments before the school day ends, they will be assigned work from the textbook for their class or reading and math practice for DCCAS.  The PSC coordinator will maintain a folder for each student in PSC to document their infractions as well as to manage their class work.     

3.     Maintain an Effective PSC Environment- Enforce the rules and expectations of PSC, monitor and document student behavior while in PSC.  Recommend additional intervention when necessary (from Deans or Administrators).  The PSC coordinator should circulate around the room and assist students in staying on task and completing their assignments.  Students should be closely monitored and never left without direct supervision by the coordinator or a substitute. While PSC cannot entirely be considered a punishment given its supporting role, it should also not be a reward.  Students should sense that PSC is a more restrictive environment and not less restrictive environment than their regular classes.  Students are not to use PSC as a time to socialize, and certain rights and privileges are restricted to students during their assignment to PSC (e.g., joining friends for passing periods, eating lunch with other students, going outside during lunch, and playing games in the commons during lunch).  To prevent the interruption of the PSC learning experience, the lunch period for PSC students will be held from at 11:00-11:30am.  In this way, students will complete their lunch before other students report to lunch.  While students are assigned to PSC they are not allowed to attend class or intermingle with students outside of PSC.  While this is to limit their privileges it is also for reasons of safety, as well.   

4.     Determine root causes of behavior- interview student, document the incident, examine referral to PSC and notify staff and document referrals in an effort to help the student solve the problems that brought them to PSC (e.g., fight: mediators; family crisis: social workers; difficulty learning: counselor.  .  . etc.)

5.     Address student needs- Provide lessons on appropriate behavior or contract other personnel to provide small group work to address trends, patterns or incidents affecting more than a few students at once. (e.g. vandalism: lesson by an administrator on respecting the property of others; bullying: counselors have a small group session with students about effects of bullying; home life pressures are manifesting themselves at school: social workers can give lesson on how to prevent problems before they start of how to ask for help.  .  .  etc.). When a group of students has participated in a particular incident together or when several students have committed a similar incident, the PSC coordinator will work with the administrators, outreach workers, counselors and deans to provide small group counseling or lessons to address the infractions and desired expectations.  

Problem Solving Center rules: 

• Students must sit in their assigned seats. 

• Students must be prepared to study and stay on task for the total time assigned to the program. 

• Students will be responsible for keeping the room clean and will not chew gum or eat candy. 

• Students will turn in completed assignments daily. 

• Students will be required to follow the school’s dress code.