Welcome to the Youth Empowerment Program!

State-of-the-art services for youth with Academic and Behavioral Difficulties

Description of Services

Spring 2007

Bennettsville Middle School

*****Below is old CHP description. We need to re-write or just delete this page****

Schedule

Activities for Students Targeting Academics

Organization Training

Skills Group and Direct Instruction

Note Taking, Study Skills, & Homework Group

Recreation Group

Activities for Students Targeting Behavior

Activities for Students/Families

Activities for Families

Research Base

Summary

The Challenging Horizons Program (CHP) is comprised of several unique scientifically researched components combined to efficiently promote the long-term success of both students and families.

Schedule

Monday through Thursday

3:50 to 4:05 – Agenda Book and Materials Check

4:05 to 4:40 – Group time 1 - Direct Instruction by a Certified Teacher

4:40 to 5:15 – Group time 2 - Small Group Training (1 day of Organization, 1 day of Academic Interventions, and 2 days of Individual Goals each week)

5:15 to 5:45 – Recreation Time

5:45 to 5:50 – Transition back into school, checkout, and out to busses/parents

Activities for students (targeting academics)

Each student in the CHP will receive organization training, note-taking training, study skills training, and direct instruction from a certified teacher. With no more than 12 students and no less than 2 staff in each classroom, students benefit from individual attention and staff is afforded the opportunity to tailor groups to best meet the needs of individual students.

Organization Training

Within the first week of the CHP students are given new notebook-binders, folders, and dividers, and instructed on how to set up and maintain an efficient organization system. This system includes, but is not limited to, papers in appropriate class folders, no loose papers, and the accurate completion of a daily homework assignment sheet. During one skills group period each week, students’ binder, locker, and bookbag organization will be checked, and progress will be recorded on a checklist. Adherence to the organization system directly impacts the behavioral level system described below.

Skills Groups and Direct Instruction

Every day, students participate in two skill periods. Groups last 35 minutes each. During one of these periods each day, the students receive direct instruction from a certified teacher. At the same time, students in the other classroom receive small group training on organization, study skills (such as note taking or flashcards), or work on their individualized goals with graduate student counselors. These individual goals could be academic or behavioral, depending on the child's needs. After 35 minutes, the students switch classrooms so that all students receive small group training and direct instruction each day. The direct instruction group will be run by Hand and Crayton Middle School teachers who specialize in math, science, history, and language arts, allowing CHP students to receive instruction based upon area of greatest need. Area of need will be determined by current academic performance and by the previous year’s PACT scores.

Note Taking & Study Skills

Once each week, the small group training session will involve training in study skills. Students will learn how to take accurate notes from lecture and text, will receive instruction on study techniques such as written summaries, oral summaries, flashcards, and outlining portions of text. The note taking and study skills portions of the group include specific mastery criteria which students must meet before progressing to a new skill. Each skill has both an instruction and application component. The application component requires that once students demonstrate mastery of a skill in CHP they must then demonstrate mastery of the skill in the home and classroom settings. Students are motivated to work and demonstrate mastery by tying success into the level system described below.

Recreation Group

The final 30 minutes of the CHP involve recreation time. The CHP will have two different groups operating during each recreation period and students will rotate through each of the options during the course of the week. Some of the options include basketball, kickball, computer lab, and board games. Recreation time allows the students to unwind from the day and provides them an opportunity to interact socially while closely monitored by staff.

Activities for students (targeting behavior)

The CHP includes a behavioral level system designed to allow students the opportunity to earn privileges for behavioral and academic accomplishments. CHP teachers and staff are trained to “call” (say out loud and record) a number of operationally defined positive and negative student behaviors. Each behavior is recorded on a behavior-tracking card and then tallied at the end of each day. Students’ performance during the program is then recorded on a weekly report card, which is sent home to parents each Monday. Students’ weekly performance also determines what “level” they are on during the next CHP week. There are four levels in the CHP with Level 3 and Honor's Level students’ having the most privileges such as, extra free time, the ability to choose a recreation activity, and first choice of snacks.

Activities for students/families

The CHP specifically targets increased communication between families and teachers and provides direct consultation and training for teachers of CHP students. The CHP promotes communication by talking with each CHP child’s teachers on a weekly basis and then communicating progress reports to the child’s parents. Based on individual need, certain CHP students will also have daily report cards completed by teachers. The daily report cards ask teachers to rate three categories of behavior including on-task behavior, disruptive behavior, and homework completion. The CHP staff then acts as a liaison between teachers and family, allowing families to receive consistent accurate information concerning their child’s behavioral successes and difficulties.

Activities for families

CHP staff can provide families with three levels of intervention depending on need. The first level is required for participation in the CHP and involves four 75 minute group parent sessions. This family intervention teaches parents to use CHP strategies at home in order to enhance the benefits of CHP and maintain these benefits even after the child has "graduated" from the program. The second level of family involvement is an optional benefit for those families who desire family counseling. This counseling is provided for free by CHP staff through the Psychological Services Center associated with USC. Interested families should inquire about this free service.

Research Base

The package of interventions that make up the CHP were chosen based on scientific research supporting the effectiveness of each component. The CHP was initially designed to serve middle school youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The effectiveness of the CHP to improve the academic performance of youth with ADHD has been demonstrated and published in a peer reviewed journal (Evans, Axelrod, & Langberg, 2004). There are numerous similarities between the functioning difficulties of youth with ADHD and youth with general academic and behavioral difficulties. In fact, students with general learning difficulties are seven times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the general population (DuPaul & Stoner, 2003). Both populations are characterized by failing scholastic grades, in-grade retention, and high school dropout (Hinshaw, 1992b). Given the severity of academic and behavioral problems associated with ADHD, there is a strong likelihood that interventions proven effective for youth with ADHD will be highly effective when applied to youth with general academic and behavioral difficulties.

The note taking component is based on research demonstrating that youth who learn to take structured notes from lecture in a classroom setting are on-task more often, less disruptive, and demonstrate increased comprehension when compared to youth who don’t utilize note taking skills (Evans, Pelham, & Grudberg, 1995). The behavioral level system and associated CHP behavioral management system are based a plethora of research evaluating the most effective behavioral modification strategies (Abramowitz & O’Leary, 1991). The behavioral management system utilized in the CHP increases compliance, on-task behavior, and decreases disruptions (Hoza & Pelham, 1996). Lastly the organization and homework management components are included as organizational skills have been identified as an essential component of academic improvement and long term success (DuPaul & Stoner, 2003).

Summary

The components of the CHP are innovative in that they are designed to promote both current and long-term academic and behavioral improvements. Mastery of study skills, note taking skills, and organization techniques will provide students and their families the tools needed to maintain long-term academic and behavioral successes. Limiting group time to 35 minutes and small class sizes are intended to keep students engaged in the activities. Providing a recreation period at the end of the day gives students an aspect of the program to look forward to and provides motivation for active engagement during group time. The CHP is directly connected to regular school activities through daily reports from teachers on behavioral and academic progress, certified teachers providing additional instruction, and teacher consultation and training. The CHP also promotes communication between teachers and family members and provides families with the skills needed to effectively utilize feedback from school.

This site was last updated 01/20/07

Please direct all questions and comments about the website to KristinBogle@scstudentexcellence.org.