Ayla
21-11-2008, 05:09 PM
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24555715-952,00.html
School suspensions skyrocket in Queensland
Article from: The Courier-Mail
James O'Loan
October 26, 2008 11:00pm
A BATTLE is brewing to contain a 26 per cent spike in students being suspended from Queensland schools over the past three years.
The alarming wave of aggressive and disrespectful behaviour from southeast and north Queensland students comes as the Government pours another $28.6 million into "positive behaviour strategies" this financial year.
Education Queensland's prolonged trial of the Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Support program now runs in one in six of Queensland's 1250 state schools.
But an arsenal of strategies including the costly SWPBS appears to have done little yet to curb problem behaviour.
Brisbane and Sunshine Coast schools issued 31 per cent more suspensions and 11 per cent more expulsions in 2007-08 than in 2005-06. During the same period, suspensions rose 25 per cent at Gold Coast and Ipswich region schools, and 22 per cent in and around Townsville.
Last week, The Courier-Mail received a flood of messages from readers concerned about "soft" disciplinary codes, particularly the inability of teachers to use the threat of force, or simple punishments to exert control.
The Responsible Thinking Classrooms approach was criticised. This is where bullies and other troublemakers go for "time out" after being asked a series of questions.
In such scenarios troublemakers are asked: "What are you doing? What are the rules? What happens when you break the rules? Is that what you want to happen? What do you want now? What will happen if you disrupt again?".
The effectiveness of Positive Learning Centres, where suspended students undergo behaviour programs at one of 14 non-school facilities, also came under fire.
The new SWPBS program includes the RTC time-out approach but academics, psychologists and politicians yesterday said it did not work in many instances.
While Griffith University school of education's Fiona Bryer backed the latest schoolwide approach for being evidence-based, she questioned the use of RTCs.
"If this is repeated and there's no change in student behaviour then the student definitely wins," Dr Bryer said.
The education behavioural specialist said she was "definitely anti-punishment" but said errant students needed clearly defined consequences.
Dr Bryer said parents and teachers needed to be trained in proven behavioural techniques and it was critical the Government shared and acted on the data collated from SWPBS.
Psychologist Michael Carr-Greg said time-outs and talks might work for some, but it was important to get a primary schooler's behaviour corrected before high school.
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Rod Welford said positive results had been gleaned from the SWPBS trials.
"Data shows that the program helps reduce problem behaviour and increases academic performance," she said.
Opposition education spokesman John-Paul Langbroek said the statistics on suspensions called for change.
"What's happening at the moment isn't working," he said.
Mr Langbroek said if elected the state Liberal National Party would employ 50 new teachers trained in behaviour management at a cost of $16 million over four years, to combat the problem.
A recent UK study linked bad or negligent parenting to a huge rise in badly behaved primary schoolers over the past five years.
About the program
The Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Support program being trialled in Queensland is the latest US behavioural strategy deployed in our schools.
It is an evidence-based approach to establish the social, cultural and behavioural supports for children to achieve social and academic success.
Among other things, it recommends a school repeatedly and clearly define three to five "positive" school rules.
Its strength lies in a proven, systemic approach that uses schools, parents and communities to formulate and entrench acceptable behaviour standards. Among other things, it recommends a school repeatedly and clearly define three to five "positive" school rules.
Punishments or practices that evidence suggests do not work, are dropped.
Griffith University school of education's Fiona Bryer said Education Queensland needed to focus on resourcing schools after SWPBS implementation, or risk failure. "We have yet to move systematically to monitoring behaviour in the same way that we are beginning to monitor progressive academic outcomes," she said.
More than 250 state schools will be trialling SWPBS by next year amid claims the program should change a school's culture and outcomes, within five years. Proserpine State School has run the program since 2005, with teachers instructing students during every lesson on acceptable behaviours.
School suspensions skyrocket in Queensland
Article from: The Courier-Mail
James O'Loan
October 26, 2008 11:00pm
A BATTLE is brewing to contain a 26 per cent spike in students being suspended from Queensland schools over the past three years.
The alarming wave of aggressive and disrespectful behaviour from southeast and north Queensland students comes as the Government pours another $28.6 million into "positive behaviour strategies" this financial year.
Education Queensland's prolonged trial of the Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Support program now runs in one in six of Queensland's 1250 state schools.
But an arsenal of strategies including the costly SWPBS appears to have done little yet to curb problem behaviour.
Brisbane and Sunshine Coast schools issued 31 per cent more suspensions and 11 per cent more expulsions in 2007-08 than in 2005-06. During the same period, suspensions rose 25 per cent at Gold Coast and Ipswich region schools, and 22 per cent in and around Townsville.
Last week, The Courier-Mail received a flood of messages from readers concerned about "soft" disciplinary codes, particularly the inability of teachers to use the threat of force, or simple punishments to exert control.
The Responsible Thinking Classrooms approach was criticised. This is where bullies and other troublemakers go for "time out" after being asked a series of questions.
In such scenarios troublemakers are asked: "What are you doing? What are the rules? What happens when you break the rules? Is that what you want to happen? What do you want now? What will happen if you disrupt again?".
The effectiveness of Positive Learning Centres, where suspended students undergo behaviour programs at one of 14 non-school facilities, also came under fire.
The new SWPBS program includes the RTC time-out approach but academics, psychologists and politicians yesterday said it did not work in many instances.
While Griffith University school of education's Fiona Bryer backed the latest schoolwide approach for being evidence-based, she questioned the use of RTCs.
"If this is repeated and there's no change in student behaviour then the student definitely wins," Dr Bryer said.
The education behavioural specialist said she was "definitely anti-punishment" but said errant students needed clearly defined consequences.
Dr Bryer said parents and teachers needed to be trained in proven behavioural techniques and it was critical the Government shared and acted on the data collated from SWPBS.
Psychologist Michael Carr-Greg said time-outs and talks might work for some, but it was important to get a primary schooler's behaviour corrected before high school.
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Rod Welford said positive results had been gleaned from the SWPBS trials.
"Data shows that the program helps reduce problem behaviour and increases academic performance," she said.
Opposition education spokesman John-Paul Langbroek said the statistics on suspensions called for change.
"What's happening at the moment isn't working," he said.
Mr Langbroek said if elected the state Liberal National Party would employ 50 new teachers trained in behaviour management at a cost of $16 million over four years, to combat the problem.
A recent UK study linked bad or negligent parenting to a huge rise in badly behaved primary schoolers over the past five years.
About the program
The Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Support program being trialled in Queensland is the latest US behavioural strategy deployed in our schools.
It is an evidence-based approach to establish the social, cultural and behavioural supports for children to achieve social and academic success.
Among other things, it recommends a school repeatedly and clearly define three to five "positive" school rules.
Its strength lies in a proven, systemic approach that uses schools, parents and communities to formulate and entrench acceptable behaviour standards. Among other things, it recommends a school repeatedly and clearly define three to five "positive" school rules.
Punishments or practices that evidence suggests do not work, are dropped.
Griffith University school of education's Fiona Bryer said Education Queensland needed to focus on resourcing schools after SWPBS implementation, or risk failure. "We have yet to move systematically to monitoring behaviour in the same way that we are beginning to monitor progressive academic outcomes," she said.
More than 250 state schools will be trialling SWPBS by next year amid claims the program should change a school's culture and outcomes, within five years. Proserpine State School has run the program since 2005, with teachers instructing students during every lesson on acceptable behaviours.