Chantel Ward with the keys to success.

Behaviour improves with keys program

By Owen Hasler

Teachers have observed a dramatic reduction in the number of behavioural incidents and a much higher commitment to school life, Mungindi Central School teacher Chantel Ward said.

The school has adopted the You Can Do It! program into the school's welfare and discipline policy.

The You Can Do It! program identifies four 'foundations' or key attributes for success: organisation, getting along, persistence and confidence. Students from preschool to year 12 learn to identify and develop strategies in these foundations to achieve personal success in all aspects of their life.

An additional foundation, emotional resilience, focuses on developing an awareness of how to deal with emotions and stressful situations. Each foundation is supported by positive habits of the mind that all stakeholders of the school are encouraged to incorporate in their lives -- at home, in the classroom and in their relationships with others.

Ms Ward, who is responsible for the program, said: "The adoption of the You Can Do It! program, has worked to improve the emotional wellbeing of our students. The school has based its welfare and discipline policy on the foundations of success. Teachers have observed a dramatic reduction in the number of behavioural incidents and a much higher commitment to school life."

"Students now have the language to talk about ways to achieve success and how to deal with their emotions. This is one program that we intend to continue using for many years to come," she said.

Mungindi Central School first introduced You Can Do It! in 2005. Originally, it proved difficult for staff to incorporate the program into the classes and lessons. The first staff development day introduced the materials to staff with a basic scope and sequence. However, during the year the program lost its impetus and was in danger of failing. Staff identified a lack of coordination, the complexity of material to be taught and a lack of confidence in presenting the materials as inhibiting factors in the delivery of the program. Despite these setbacks, the staff saw the value of the program and decided to explore how to better integrate it into the school's culture.

In the second year, a committee was established. The committee coordinated a whole school strategy which facilitated the gradual introduction of each foundation and habit of mind. At every staff meeting the foundations were discussed and support material was developed to ensure a common approach was established throughout the school. The teachers explicitly taught each foundation with its habits of mind on the same day each week throughout the school. Additionally, the committee developed a 'passport' system in which students would receive stickers from their teachers for demonstrating the positive habits of the focus foundation. Each classroom displayed posters of the 'key foundations' so that the positive habits of mind were always within sight during the day.

Mungindi Central is in the third year of implementing the program; and it has exceeded all expectations. Students, teachers and parents share a common language to discuss strategies to achieve success. You Can Do It! images are visible in the classrooms and around the school. Scheduled lessons have been maintained from preschool to year 12.

The committee has further developed the You Can Do It! passports to simplify the daily acknowledgement of students demonstrating any of the foundations. Weekly assembly merits are linked to the achievement of the foundations by passport stickers. For every five stickers received, a merit is issued. Certificates are awarded for each foundation sheet that is successfully filled with stickers. Consistent demonstration of a foundation through the term (as evidenced by the teacher progressively filling in a foundation page in the passport with stickers and collecting all five certificates) enables a student to receive a achievement key for that term. A student receiving a key in each term of the year is eligible to attend the You Can Do It! excursion at the end of the year.

The program is being supported by a 'Key Room'. This room provides a dedicated space, with teacher, which gives students the opportunity to reflect on the negative habits of the mind that they may be displaying and are guided by the teacher in implementing more positive strategies. It has significantly reduced the incidents of suspension.

In 2007, the Report Committee incorporated all of the key foundations of the program into the language of the report cards throughout the school; teachers report on each student's progress in these foundations for each subject taught.

The keys to success are being used to support a wide range of school activities. The school choir has practised and performed songs for school assemblies. Large graffiti murals created by the students celebrate the keys to success in the playground. Students placed on monitoring books -- as part of the welfare system -- gauge the success of their day against the key foundations.

In 2007, the school developed Personalised Learning Plans (PLP) for every child. The foundations served as a focus for discussion in the meetings between teacher, student and guardian; student progress towards achieving these keys to success and developing positive habits of the mind were used in goal setting during the PLP meeting.

School captains are also using the key foundations when awarding their weekly school captains' awards at the assemblies. The primary and secondary school captains meet once a week to determine which students they have seen demonstrating the five keys to success. They ensure that a range of students across the school are considered before making their final decisions. This is evidence that students at Mungindi Central School understand and are able to reinforce the positive habits of the mind independently.

Owen Hasler is a Country Organiser.

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