Learn how Positive Action improves student attendance.
Learn how Positive Action improves student attendance.
Schools are not just buildings; they are networks of relationships. For a student to feel wanted and valued, they must feel a strong connection to others and a sense of belonging while at school. Positive Action helps create and sustain a school culture characterized by trusting and supportive relationships, where students feel included, safe, and connected, thereby fostering improved attendance.
Poor school climate and culture dramatically contribute to the rapidly growing issue of chronic student absenteeism. When a school's climate is welcoming and positive, students are present and feel good about themselves.
Positive Action's unique approach improves climate by teaching explicit social-emotional skills and positive actions for the whole child and self. As children learn and value these skills they apply them in their lives, begin to naturally feel good about themselves and look for the positive around them, therefore gradually changing the climate of the school. The program's research disclosed teacher reports of 48% improvement in school satisfaction, impacting chronic absenteeism with a 28% reduction.
Implementing Positive Action improves classroom conditions by creating a positive learning environment and nurturing an intrinsic interest in learning. As students become aware of their thought process by applying the Thoughts-Actions-Feelings Circle (TAF), behavior changes and improves in the classroom, allowing students to feel instriniscially motivated and interested in school. Student achievement and attendance improves as a result.
Unfortunately, our youth are experiencing an increase in mental and physical health problems. These health issues have proven to contribute to the chronic absenteeism statistic. Positive Action specifically teaches self-management and coping skills, encourages self-respect and respect for others, and asks for youth to learn the importance of practicing self-honesty. Explicit skill-building directly teaches physical and intellectual positive actions, laying the foundation for good physical and mental health habits. When students feel healthy in the mind and body, they are more likely to feel motivated to be at school.
With replicated outcomes from randomized-controlled trials in behavior, academics, school quality and satisfaction, student engagement, and mental and physical health, Positive Action targets absenteeism and gets to the root of the problem.
In the Chicago trial of PA, the intervention had a positive impact on absenteeism, mitigated a natural increase in disaffection with learning, and PA teachers rated their students as experiencing greater growth in academic motivation and ability; these findings are encouraging, as these outcomes are predictors of long-term academic achievement and school completion.
Journal of School Health. November 2013, Vol. 83, No. 11, Pg. 776Schedule a quick, 30-minute webinar and discover how Positive Action can bring your students back.
Learn more about the Positive Action program.