Emerson Hough implements behavior strategies

Emerson Hough Elementary School is implementing a school-based intervention strategy called the Boys Town Education Model to better manage behavior, build relationships and develop social skills among its students. The Newton school board on Nov. 22 was updated on how Emerson Hough is applying the model.

Superintendent Tom Messinger said the school district already has positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS) programs in place at a number of buildings, which “does a lot for the data collection and analysis” of student behaviors and establishes a behavior matrix and expectations for each building.

However, Messinger said Boys Town provides “the missing piece,” the actualteaching of behaviors and social skills.

“It really focuses on replacing inappropriate behaviors with the appropriate ones by simplifying it down to specific steps,” he said. “…It talks about building positive relationships, problem solving, analyzing the behaviors by observing and being able to describe those behaviors, giving rationales for behaviors we want to see.”

Boys Town also establishes routines and procedures by teaching social skills and reinforcing positive behaviors by sometimes re-teaching the appropriate social skills with students, Messinger added. Another aspect of the the intervention strategy is understanding consequences that go along with decisions.

“Just a real simple example of what Boys Town teaches: One of the social skills that they have, one of their basic ones, is following instructions,” Messinger said. “Boys Town breaks that down into just a few simple steps of look at the person, say OK and do what you’ve been asked to do and check back later.”

Jolene Comer, principal of Emerson Hough Elementary School, said the initial, volunteer Boys Town training was offered to the building’s employees in August. Twenty-two staff members attended at least one day of the two-day training; of those who participated, 20 were teachers and two were classified workers.

Since then, Emerson Hough has also offered administrator intervention training for Comer, a counselor and behavior interventionist. The two-day course was held virtually. Comer said the elementary school is scheduled to have visits from an in-house Boys Town trainer. The trainer observed classes on Nov. 22 and 23.

“So for those two days she’s going right into classrooms to observe and see what’s going on … She observes for about 10-15 minutes and then Tom has very graciously offered central administration staff and him as well to come out and be a substitute teacher for the day,” Comer said.

While administrators are covering the classrooms, Comer added, the trainer can follow up with teachers and provide immediate feedback. The trainer also gets to interact with the teachers and find out where they may be struggling or answer any questions they may have. All the while the trainer is gathering data.

Important to note is the trainer observed all classrooms, not just the rooms of the 20 teachers who attended the initial training. Comer said all teachers will receive that professional development feedback from the trainer’s visits. Currently, the Boys Town model is only being utilized by Emerson Hough.

The goal is to extend the model and training to other buildings throughout the school district, Messinger said. The superintendent also said the training sessions have a limited capacity. School board member Ray Whipple shared concerns of the program not following the kids through to other buildings.

“It’s almost a waste if it doesn’t follow that student through,” he said. “I mean, you’ve lost everything the first year that kid doesn’t have Boys Town anymore.”

Comer said the district administration will be providing future Boys Town training opportunities in the summer, possibly once in June and another in July or August.

“Everybody can be accepted to attend at least one of those dates,” she said.

School board member Donna Cook asked whether Boys Town’s primary purpose is to address behaviors or offer appropriate social skills prior to behavioral issues. Comer confirmed the model does both, but the goal is for it to ultimately act as preventative measure.

“So that you’re teaching those social skills that sometimes we assume kids have but they don’t,” Comer said. “So teaching how to disagree appropriately, how to ask for help, how to calm down when I’m upset — all those skills that we kind of take for granted.”

Cook said many years ago at Emerson Hough there were social skills that were taught; students were taught a different skill each week. Although she couldn’t recall how many there were, Cook said skills were repeated and provided to parents so they could be reinforced at home when students were out of school.

“It was very affective,” Cook added.

Comer confirmed the model Cook was referring to was actually a Boys Town model. Messinger said some of the benefits to having Boys Town is that it builds a “common language” and also focuses on the actual teaching of important social skills and providing those strong rationales for students.

“You should never expect a student to stop a certain behavior unless you provide them with something to replace it with, that people aren’t going to just act differently unless they have a different way to act provided to them,” Messinger said. “It’s away we can build the appropriate behaviors in place.”

Feedback from staff is very positive, Messinger added. Comer agreed.

“I think they’re going to be really excited now that we’ve been able to have follow up,” Comer said, noting employees are also working on social-emotional learning techniques. “…This will really help us get the ball rolling.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com