John Hanson Middle School Waldorf, MD Reaching Students in the Yellow Zone

Our motto focuses on two pillars of character: Responsibility and Respect. “Responsible behavior means respecting M.O.E.” M = Myself O = Others E = Environment

Ten Strategies That Work …for us, at least. 1. MOE Money 2. Personal Responsibility (Student of Month/Agenda Drawings) 3. Battle of the Homebases/Battle of the Classes 4. Mentoring Groups 5. M.A.P. (Making Achievement Possible) 6. Skills/Grades Plus 7. College Knowledge 8. Golden Broom Awards 9. Job Shadow Day 10. End-of-year Incentives (Field Trips)

MOE Money  MOE money can be given to all students from all adults in the building.  MOE money from substitute teachers is worth double value.  Student contest was used to determine the appearance of MOE money.  Students can do the following with their MOE money:  Place them in drop-boxes for bi-weekly drawings  Cash them in to teachers (teacher discretion)  Cash them in for grade level prizes (electric scooters, etc.)  School Store Items (pencils, CD players, etc…)  Lunch Snacks (ice cream, pop-tarts, etc..)  Dance Tickets  In-School Movie

Personal Responsibility  Student of the Month  Five students per grade level are chosen each month for demonstrating that month’s focus trait.  Each student receives a prize and has their photo displayed in the hallway.  Character traits include: Responsibility, Cooperation, Compassion, Pride, Perseverance, Respect, Self-Discipline, Honesty, and Fairness.  Agenda Drawings  Each Friday, five agenda numbers are called during the morning announcements.  If those students have up-to-date agendas (all assignments recorded and organized), they may receive a ticket to go into the treasure chest for a prize.

Battle of the Homebases/Battle of the Classes Points are tallied for each homebase in the following categories: MOE Money Student of the Month Honor Roll Perfect Attendance Marked Academic Improvement Quarterly Homebase Athletic Competitions (4 th quarter Battle of the Classes: 6 th vs. 7 th vs. 8 th ) Results for each grade are reported to the students and the winning class is given a barbeque at the end of the school year.

Mentoring Groups 1. Young Achievers  Male students who have multiple behavior referrals (Yellow and Red Zone) are identified.  Students meet with a mentor on a weekly basis.  Respect and etiquette are modeled for the students.  Grades and referrals are monitored for the students and individual behavioral objectives are identified.  Reward systems are established to encourage desired grades and behaviors. (Computers were given to the students that consistently improved.)  Grades improved and office referrals decreased in 60% for the students.

Mentoring Groups 2.Ladies of Success  Female students with multiple office referrals (Red and Yellow Zone).  Meet on a weekly basis to model respect and etiquette and to create behavioral goals.  Sometimes meet with the Young Achievers in order to model respectful interactions.  The Step Squad was created as an outlet for these students and includes most of the Ladies of Success.  Grades and office referrals are monitored.

M.A.P. (Making Achievement Possible)  M.A.P. was designed to create diverse peer groups and opportunities for Yellow Zone students to interact with academic role models.  All students were placed into heterogeneous groupings.  Each group was assigned a faculty M.A.P. coach to guide them for three years.  Groups met once a month to complete PBIS/Character Education lessons, complete goal setting, and to discuss student-centered issues.

Skills/Grades Plus  Skills Plus was designed to build self-confidence in students who struggle academically.  Each staff member was assigned one student who tested in the Basic range on Math or Reading on the 2005 MSA.  45-minute sessions were held each Tuesday  Sessions focused on strategic reading, math remediation, and test-taking strategies.  Grades Plus added for students in danger of failing the grade level – sessions focus on individual student needs.

College Knowledge  College Knowledge is a collaborative project between Guidance and Gifted Education.  All 7 th grade students attended an information session about the logistics and benefits of pursuing a post- high school education.  One goal of College Knowledge is to make Yellow Zone students realize that higher education is not for merely a select group.

Golden Broom Award  Designed to promote respect for the environment.  Each week, one classroom per instructional area (6 areas) is presented with the Golden Broom for being the cleanest and most conducive to learning.  Students receive MOE Money and other incentives for contributing to the building’s appearance.

Job Shadow Day  One day every February, students are invited to spend the day learning what goes on behind the scenes at John Hanson Middle School.  Staff members from all areas of the building are represented (teachers, administrators, guidance, secretaries, building service, supporting services).  A diverse group of students participate in this event. Yellow Zone students are often chosen to create opportunities for positive interactions with staff members.

End-of-Year Incentives  7 th and 8 th grade students are rewarded for positive behavior with eligibility for the following events:  7 th /8 th Grade Class Field Trip  8 th Grade Semi-Formal  8 th Grade Slide Show  To maintain eligibility, students must maintain:  Positive Behavior  Academic Achievement

How did these interventions impact our data?

Office Referrals School Year Total Referrals: 973 Disrespect: 313 Fighting: 98 Inappropriate Lang: 51 Harassment: 33 Disruption: School Year Total Referrals: 515 Disrespect: 79 Fighting: 48 Inappropriate Lang: 15 Harassment: 5 Disruption: 9

Contact Us! John Hanson Middle School Vivian Adams Drive Waldorf, MD Phone:(301) Fax: (301) Deborah Hile,