Hillsborough County Public Schools Curriculum and Instruction
Information Item

DATE: Tuesday, January 15, 2008
TO: School Board Members
FROM: MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent

SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS

Creating a School Culture of Respect

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Initiative: A “Unity Program” was initiated at Plant High School to promote a positive school environment and prevent misunderstandings between diverse groups of students. This program has been coordinated by Ms. Susan Gray, Student Intervention Specialist and sponsor of the Student Advisory Committee (SAC). SAC leaders and student volunteers lead four Unity Day activities per year that include such topics as accepting diversity, breaking comfort barriers, preventing bullying, stereotyping, and sexual harassment. In order to promote a school culture of respect, students also lead other schoolwide cooperative projects and the peer mediation program that focuses on basic problem solving and conflict resolution.

Goals: The goal of the Unity Program initiative is to alleviate tension between diverse student groups and to encourage a school bond by using team building and leadership activities.

Targeted Population: This initiative is designed for all students in Grades 9-12 at Plant High School. Strategically organized events are intended to branch out throughout the entire school and impact the entire student body.

Timeline: For the past seven years, the Student Advisory Committee has sponsored four Unity Days per year, the peer mediation program, and Leadership Growth Seminars. The Unity Program has been successfully implemented at Plant High School, and can be used as a model for other schools to duplicate in order to create a school culture of respect.

Staff Development: SAC Unity Days are supported by the administration and the entire staff at Plant High School. Ms. Gray, volunteer speakers, and ten SAC volunteers train sixty (60) students four times per year to become student leaders and facilitators during Unity Day. These trained students, 250 total, strategically model appropriate behavior for others throughout the school. Peer mediations reflect the same attitude of respect when dealing with student conflicts. The SAC sponsor has received training in bullying prevention, peer mediation, and advanced peer mediation that is offered through the district’s Department of Guidance Services.

Transferability: Lessons and skills learned from Unity Days, peer mediations, and cooperative school projects are reflected in the entire school community and reduce the majority of school conflicts at Plant High School. Students can apply these skills to life-long attitudes and communication skills in dealing with future conflicts in the world of work or in personal relationships. The Unity Program concept will be presented at the Senior High Principals' Council.

Involvement: Parents are notified when their children have been invited to participate in Unity Day training, and parent permission is required. Local businesses provide food for student lunches for the event. In the peer mediation program, once a conflict has been mediated, parents are notified of the outcome.

ANNUAL DISTRICT GOAL(S) AND CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S)

Critical Success Factor 5.d: Provide staff development programs that match instructional delivery strategies with diverse student achievement needs.

FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted: Yes)

Bullying prevention and beginning/advanced peer mediation training is offered annually by the Department of Guidance Services and provided by the Peace Foundation. The cost of resource materials and training is $100 per person and is funded through the Staff Development budget.

EVALUATION

The success of this training is determined by tracking student discipline data found in the school district’s Student Information System. Plant High School maintains a very low incident of school discipline problems.

SUBMITTED BY:

Pat Smith
Director, Guidance Services
(813) 273-7074
Michael A. Grego, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction
(813) 272-4221
B 1
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20080115_285 * Section B Item# 1