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D elinquency: At-Risk Project. Christy Youngs-Colón Michelle McCree Debra Vance Noelk. Warm-Up. Pair Share: Have you had a student in the past (or now) who you wonder what negative road life will lead them down? How did/do you work to communicate with that student?
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Delinquency: At-Risk Project Christy Youngs-Colón Michelle McCree Debra Vance Noelk
Warm-Up Pair Share: Have you had a student in the past (or now) who you wonder what negative road life will lead them down? How did/do you work to communicate with that student? Was/Is there parental support in place? Was/Is the child actively involved in the community or school? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fihzt1NBkP8&sns=em
Your thoughts on… What is considered delinquent behavior? Who is most at-risk to develop delinquent behaviors? What preventative factors do we currently have in place? What is our role as educators?
Delinquent Behaviors • Different parties (parents, educators, mental health counselors, and the justice system) consider various behaviors a form of delinquency. • Common behaviors include: • Truancy • Violence • Running away from home • Disobedience • Stealing/theft • Destruction of property • Breaking curfew • Possession of alcohol, drugs, or weapons
Risk Factors for Delinquency • Low academic achievement • Previous grade retention • Disciplinary issues • Behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries or violence • Poor attendance • Low socio-economic status • A feeling of being “disconnected” • Attendance at a school with a high “at-risk” population
Delinquency is not caused by one event or risk factor… • Students with more risk factors have a greater chance of dropping out. • Often, delinquency occurs after as culmination of a series of events/circumstances. • These students tend to be disenfranchised about school and the educational system and/or their ability to be successful. • Push Out factors vs Pull Out factors • Push Out Factors – experiences outside of school that influence a student’s decision to drop out • Pull Out Factors – experiences within school that encourage some students to leave school
What can we do? • Create an environment where students feel: • Capable • Connected • Contributing • Provide opportunities for school and community connectedness • Communicate high expectations of students • Encourage students to become involved in school and community activities • Act as a mentor to students in need
The Three C’s • Students need to feel they are CAPABLE of completing academic tasks and changing behaviors. • Students need to feel they are CONNECTED with teachers, peers, administrators, coaches, and community leaders in a positive way. • Students need to feel they are CONTRIBUTING to the welfare and development of their class, school, and community in a positive way.
Helping students to feel Capable… • Create an environment where it’s okay to make mistakes. • Build confidence by focusing on improvement and past successes. • Make learning objectives reachable and tangible for all students.
School Connectedness • Second only to family, school can be one of the most stabilizing institutions in a student’s life. • Today many families move often and do not live near extended family as we once did. • School connectedness is a feeling that students belong in their school.
Seven General Qualities • Feeling like they are a part of their school • Liking school • Feeling as though the teachers care about them and support them • Having friends to ‘hang out’ with at school • Being involved in their academic success and future goals • Believing that the discipline and rules are fair and consistently applied. • Participating in extracurricular activities
Helping students to feel Connected… • Give positive attention by listening and showing interest in their activities outside of the classroom. • Show appreciation and affection with no strings attached. Be sure to appreciate the doer, not the deed. • Show affirmation to the learner by being enthusiastic, verbally and in writing.
Helping students to feel Contributing… • Involve students in decision making for the class. • Frequently use cooperative learning groups in class to promote positive friendships and collaborative communication skills. • Encourage student’s contribution to other students, the class, the school, the community, and the environment.
The Counselor’s Role:Leadership Drop Out Prevention begins with the school counselor. • Organize academic support so that high standards and expectations are the norm for all students • Track and assist with at risk students • Establish support groups for students and their families • Initiate counseling interventions in lieu of disciplinary consequences • Promote professional development • Foster school connectedness
The Counselor’s Role:Advocacy • Advocating for those at risk is extremely critical to these students’ success. • Students need to feel that they matter. • Students need to have high expectations that are clear stated with manageable goals. • Promote academic and career plans. • Provide “life skills” classes. • Create peer conflict resolution and/or peer mediation teams • Promote a variety of clubs and extracurricular activities
The Counselor’s Role:Collaboration & Teaming • Promote consistent and equitable discipline policies. Encourage administration to annually review discipline policies. Collect and share data about discipline policies. • Create an orderly school environment • Encourage school wide community service projects with faculty and various school organizations.
The Counselor’s Role:Systemic Change • Keep data to show the impact of new policies • Encourage annual reviews • Use assessment tools to get feedback from all interested parties: students, parents, faculty • Discuss what worked and didn’t work • Work to build consensus and support • Stay focused on the goal: student success
Community Resources • Children’s Home Society of Florida • Treasure Coast Chapter • Frontline for Kids • Ft. Pierce, Florida • PACE Center for Girls, Inc. • Treasure Coast • The Boy’s & Girls Club of Martin County • SMART Programs
Positive Results Students are more likely to: • Stay focused • Be motivated • Better grades and test scores Students are less likely to: • Be disruptive and violent • Experiment with drugs • Smoke • Use alcohol to excess • Be emotionally stressed and/or consider suicide • Engage in early-age sexual intercourse
Personalize – Pair Share • Think about a student who has displayed or is displaying delinquent-like behaviors? • What are two ways you could create a more positive school experience for that student? • Name two ways we could increase parental support and involvement of that student. • Name two ways we could increase school or community involvement for that student.
What’s the Key Point? People connect to people, not institutions. Creating a personal educational environment where students feel capable, connected, and contributing is essential in preventative measures to adolescent delinquency. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM3jjLkparQ&sns=em
Evaluation Please complete the evaluation form. On the back, please share one “glow” and one “grow.” Thank you for participating !
Sources American School Counselor Association. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2012, from American School Counselor Association: www.schoolcounselor.org Blum, R. (2004, September). School Connectedness: Improving Students' Lives. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from cecp.air.org/download/MCMonographFINAL.pdf Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009, July). Fostering School Connectedness: Improving Student Health and Academic Achievement. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/adolescenthealth/pdf/connectedness_teachers.pdf Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009, July). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System: 2011 National Overview.Retrieved September 25, 2012, from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm Dockery, D. J. (2010). School Dropout Indicators, Trends, and Interventions for School Counselors. Retrieved September 23, 2012, from jsc.montana.edu/articles/v10n12.pdf
Sources Garry D. and Gottfredson, D. D. (2000, July). Toward Safe and Orderly Schools-The National Study of Delinquency Prevention in Schools. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from National Institute of Justice: www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/205005.pdf Hatch, C. D. (2003, July 15). Interventions for Helping Students at Risk of Dropping Out of School. Retrieved September 23, 2012, from Center for School Counseling Outcome Research: www.umass.edu/schoolcounseling/uploads/Research%20Briefs1.3.pdf Mariani, M. (2012). The three c’s[PowerPoint slides}. Retrieved from https://bb.fau.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp. White, J. E. (2003, July 15). Interventions for Helping Students at Risk of Dropping Out of School. Retrieved September 24, 2012, from www.umass.edu/schoolcounseling/uploads/Research%20Briefs1.3.pdf