Common Philosophy and Purpose

Effective schools commit their philosophy of discipline to writing through their beliefs, mission, and vision. This philosophy creates a sense of direction that gives coherence to diverse activities. It also serves to clarify to others outside of staff how the school operates regarding discipline and protects and helps sustain the work. Time spent examining what staff truly believes about student discipline and creating a shared philosophy is a wise investment in lasting change (Good & Brophy, 2000).

Learner Objectives:

  • Explore beliefs about discipline and establish your building’s “why”.
  • Review and/or create a mission statement to verify that it addresses the development of student social competence.
  • Review and/or create a vision statement to verify that it addresses the development of student social competence. gain and document staff commitment to SW-PBS.

Essential Functions:

  • The building leadership team has established a list of common beliefs about students and behavior.
  • The building’s mission and vision statements address the development of student social competence.
  • The building leadership team has gained and documented staff commitment to SW-PBS.

Participant and Presenter Materials

Recommended Prerequisites

Participant Materials

Participant Handouts

Handouts

Pre/Post Learner Assessment

Pre-and post -Knowledge checks are a component of high-quality professional development. It is recommended that all consultants and other trainers/facilitators use them as they tailor their professional development for their audience. The pre/post knowledge check and the answer key are posted below for downloading and administering.

 Pre/Post Knowledge Check

Presenter Materials

Presenter PowerPoints with Notes: A PowerPoint file with detailed presenter notes is available for the module.

Common Philosophy and Purpose 

Implementation Supports

Practice Profile

Scoring Rubric for Common Philosophy and Purpose Update coming soon

Common Philosophy and Purpose Leadership Team Assessment

Icon indicating the item is a google forms document Common Philosophy & Purpose Coaching Companion

Missouri Teacher Standards

References

  1. Good, T. J., & Brophy, J. (2000). Looking into classrooms (8th Ed.) New York, NY: Longman Press.
  2. Gall, G., Pagano, M. E., Desmond, M. S., Perrin, J. M., & Murphy, J. M. (2000). Utility of psychosocial screening at a school-based health center. The Journal of School Health, 70(7), 292-298.
  3. Humensky, J., Kuwabara, S. A., Fogel, J., Wells, C., Goodwin, B., & Van Voorhees, B. W. (2010). Adolescents with depressive symptoms and their challenges with learning in school.
  4. Nelson, J. R., Benner, G. J., Lane, K., & Smith, B. W. (2004). Academic achievement of k-12 students with emotional and behavior disorders. Exceptional Children, 71(1), 59-73.
  5. National Education Goals Panel (1995). 1995 National education goals report. Washington, D.C.; author.
  6. U.S. Department of Education (2014). Guiding principles: A resource guide for improving school climate and discipline. http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/index.html
  7. Cotton, K. (1990). Schoolwide and classroom discipline. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
  8. Sugai, G., & Horner, R. (1994). Including students with severe behavior problems in general education settings: Assumptions, challenges, and solutions. In G.S.J. Marr, & G. Tindel (Eds). The Oregon Conference Monograph (Vol. 6, pp. 102-120). Eugene, OR: University of Oregon.
  9. Gresham, F.M. (1984). Assessment of Children’s Social Skills. Journal of School Psychology, (19), No 2, pp. 120-33.
  10. U.S. Department of Education (2014). Guiding principles: A resource guide for improving school climate and discipline. http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/index.html
  11. Kaufman, P. M., Chen, X., Choy, S.P., Peter, K., Ruddy, S. A., Miller, A.K. (2001) Indicators of school crime and safety: 2001. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, U.S., Department of Justice.
  12. Skiba, R.J., Peterson, R.L., & Williams, T. (1997). Office referrals and suspension: Disciplinary intervention in middle schools. Education & Treatment of Children, 20 (3), 295-316.
  13. Hedges, W.D. (1991). How do you waste time? Principal (71), 37.
  14. Trump, J. M. (1987). Instructional leadership–what do principals say prevents their effectiveness in this role? NASSP Bulletin. 71, 89-92.
  15. Martinez, S., (2001). Obstacles to improved student learning. Unpublished manuscript. Kansas State Department of Education.
  16. Bryk, A.S., & Schneider, B. (2003). Trust in schools: A core resource for school reform. Educational Leadership 60, 40-45.
  17. Gordon, D. T. (2002). Fuel for reform: The importance of trust in changing schools. Harvard Education Letter, (18).
  18. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary
  19. Skiba, R. J., & Peterson, R. L. (2000). School discipline at a crossroads: From zero tolerance to early response. Exceptional Children, 66, 335-347.
  20. U.S. Department of Education (2014). Guiding principles: A resource guide for improving school climate and discipline. http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/index.html
  21. Losen, D.J. (2011). Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and Racial Justice. Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center. Retrieved [March, 2012] from http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/discipline-policies.
  22. Gresham, F.M. (1984). Assessment of Children’s Social Skills. Journal of School Psychology, (19), No 2, pp. 120-33.
  23. Missouri SW-PBS (2019). Missouri schoolwide positive behavior support tier 1 implementation guide.
  24. U.S. Department of Education (2014). Guiding principles: A resource guide for improving school climate and discipline. http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/index.html
  25. McIntosh, K., Predy, L. K., Upreti, G., Hume, A. E., Turri, M. G., & Mathews, S. (2014). Perceptions of contextual features related to implementation and sustainability of school-wide positive behavior support. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 16(1), 31-43.
  26. Mathews, S., McIntosh, K., Frank, J. L., & May, S. L. (2014). Critical Features Predicting Sustained Implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 16(3), pp 168-178.