A study evaluating the Tucson Unified School District’s three-year effort to boost the performance of academically at-risk students and improve school discipline has found disappointing results.
The good news is that it appears that TUSD can make practical changes that should improve the results for students.
The study, which cost $90,000 and was done by the District Management Council, sought to determine if the district’s decision to place 62 “learning support coordinators” in schools was helping student achievement and lowering behavioral problems. TUSD spent about $3 million annually for the coordinators.
It’s unacceptable for a district to spend human and financial resources on a program that is well-intentioned but not effective. We don’t think this program is without merit, however.
The coordinators were supposed to help their schools use “Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports” (PBIS), which at its root is the idea of catching students doing something good and reward them, instead of waiting for them to do something bad and punish them. It’s a philosophy schools in other districts have used successfully, and it can become part of a school’s culture.
The coordinators were also tasked with training others at the school in “Restorative Practices” approach to discipline. Again, it’s a method that focuses on changing behavior to the good, instead of only punishing infractions.
In addition, they were supposed to train faculty to better help students who are behind and need more intensive assistance. They were also tasked with gathering behavioral and academic data, analyzing it to spot trends and “develop action steps/strategies to address the identified trends and concerns.”
And, they were supposed to coordinate testing.
The job duties are connected, but also divide the coordinators’ attention. One criticism in the report is that the coordinators were spending too much time on organizing testing for the school, and that that took away from their more hands-on student-centered duties. Another is that some principals gave coordinators assignments that weren’t part of their duties, which also diverted their time and attention.
The coordinators’ position should be recast to focus on the essential work of helping students who need the extra attention, and working to move a school’s behavioral culture in a positive direction.
Schools with a high number of low-income students, as measured by the percentage of kids eligible for federal free-and-reduced lunch, should have a full-time coordinator, instead of the current part-time assignment.
These aren’t the only changes that needs to happen, but they’re the most straightforward. Changing routines, expectations and longstanding practices of faculty, staff and students takes dedicated work and focus on get everyone on the same page.
