Charles City staff credit middle-school restorative practices and a sticker-chart pilot with attendance gains for students with IEPs

The Charles City Comm School District heard a pair of staff reports Tuesday on efforts to reduce disruptive behavior and chronic absenteeism at the middle school.

Counselors and behavior staff described a restorative-practices process used with students whose actions would translate to serious real-world consequences (fighting, theft or vandalism). A staff presenter said the program seeks to help students ‘zoom out’ and understand the real-world implications of their actions, and noted that 29 students participated in restorative practices this year. The presenter described steps including research by the student on relevant consequences, a restorative conversation with the affected peer or community member and restitution work such as cleaning or helping school staff.

“I've seen some of our toughest kids sit across the table with somebody they did something wrong to and then hear their perspective about how it affected them,” the presenter said, describing the program’s restorative conversations and reported positive family engagement.

Jenna Johnson, the district’s middle-school counselor, described a separate attendance intervention that used a daily sticker chart, incentives and targeted supports for students with individualized education programs. Johnson said the pilot began with roughly 21 students and expanded to 32 identified students; month-by-month attendance rose from about 84% in January to 91% in March, with an overall participant average of roughly 88%.

“Twenty-five percent of the participants have achieved the goal of 90 percent and are just coming to school on their own,” Johnson said, noting that students who meet the goal are discharged from the intervention and that incentives have included pizza parties, prize wheels and access to a 3D printer.

District staff tied the programs together as part of efforts to close an academic gap the board had identified between students with and without IEPs, saying regular attendance and reflective interventions support instructional gains. Board members and staff praised the work and the students who competed in related student activities.