To tackle discipline issues, schools in the Marana Unified School District are implementing alternative practices to address behavioral issues.
By using vests, a Behavior Fair and action plans, schools are finding unique ways to hold students accountable for their actions.
The vest was conjured up by Marana High School's associate principal, Allison Murphy, as a component of the Arizona Behavioral Initiative, now called the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports of Arizona program.
The orange, traffic-control-like vests act as hall passes and are intended to curb truancy, Murphy said. Students must wear the vests should they leave a classroom during a class period.
So far, Murphy said, the wearable hall passes have contributed to a 21 percent decrease in the number of students skipping class at the school, 12000 W. Emigh Road.
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"It is a good visual to find out who has the proper pass, and it is consistent," Murphy said.
Tackling the problem
Murphy and a team of seven are charged with directing the program, aimed at addressing specific school discipline needs. The purpose of the program is to create a positive teaching environment schoolwide.
The program is an effort involving the Arizona Department of Education, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona.
Marana High School and Marana Middle School received a grant in 2004 and implemented the program during the 2005-06 school year. Mountain View High School and Tortolita Middle School received the grant in 2006. The district's elementary schools also have programs that stress a positive approach to behavior issues.
When the program was introduced at Marana High, the focus was on cutting the number of tardies and defiance, which it did, Murphy said.
Marana Middle School shortened its passing period from five minutes to four in an effort to reduce tardies, Principal Dave Liss said.
"Kids get into the most difficulties when they are unsupervised," Liss said. "So we are cutting down on unsupervised time."
Another component of the middle- and high school programs involves skits.
To start off the school year, the middle school throws a Behavior Fair to introduce students to the expectations on the bus and in the classrooms, hallways, cafeteria and auditorium. Skits are performed at each location to deliver the message, Liss said.
"It is turning discipline into a positive," Liss said. "The kids know what the expectations are."
Setting expectations
At Marana High, students are asked to "Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful, and Be Here, Be on Time."
The high school applies those expectations to all areas of the school, such as the breezeways and locker rooms. In the locker rooms, students are expected to honor privacy, always walk, lock up personal belongings and use their time wisely.
"Once the student understands the expectation, for the most part they meet them," Marana High School Principal Jim Doty said. "They want to get a good education."
If the behavior team and school administrators notice a specific behavior trend, they ask students to write a script and shoot a video on the problem.
One video featured two students thumb wrestling to show how fighting is immature.
"It is a unique way to get the information across," Murphy said.
The videos are shown as part of the morning announcements when school officials see fit, Murphy said.
A video on the vest was shown at the beginning of the first semester, Murphy said.
That video introduced the vest to students as the latest "hot new hall pass."
Marana High School also has a behavior action plan that addresses an expectation a student has failed to meet.
Teachers can use the action plan when students commit a small infraction that may not be worthy of a referral, Murphy said.
Students are required to fill out the action plan explaining what they did.
"Sometimes kids just need a minute to reflect," Murphy said.
Positive reinforcement
Bad behavior is not the only behavior recognized by the program.
Schools also are rewarding students for meeting the expectations.
Staffers at Marana High School issue Tiger Stripes scratch tickets to expectation-abiding students.
Students can redeem the tickets for movie rentals, coffee, Marana event tickets and other prizes.
The middle school issues Fantastic Falcon coupons. The coupons make students eligible for weekly prize drawings.
"There's so many good kids out there that deserve recognition," said Gloria Gorosave, a teacher at the high school and member of the behavior program team. "They love it."
