Leaders at East Aurora School District 131 are proud of the academic accomplishments that have been made in recent years, particularly with graduation rates and state testing scores.
But there is another side to the consortium that determines student success not being addressed – one that educators nationwide have been more concerned about in recent years.
We’re talking about what is described as the “culture and climate” of the schools, which all goes back to one critical word: Behavior.
According to a recent survey of almost 200 superintendents across the country, 81% say student behavior is worse now than before the pandemic, and 92% indicate student mental health crises are also worse.
East Aurora School District Superintendent Jennifer Norrell decided to tackle this challenge head on, making it the focus of her presentation to staff and administrators for the annual Red and Black Celebration that kicks off the new school year.
Speaking of the pandemic, because of the recent uptick in COVID cases, the Aug. 22 event was canceled at the last minute, and instead Norrell gave the talk online. But it didn’t water down the potency of her message, which centered around the popular Disney movie “Inside Out” that uses animated characters to tackle a host of children’s emotions, including joy, sadness, anger, fear, disgust and anxiety.
This focus on behavior came from having an extensive leadership retreat on that topic this summer that explored behavior infractions, consequences and anecdotal data of students at all grade levels. Also discussed was the impact of adult behavior in the school environment on students.
“Disrespect and defiance surfaced as the top two behaviors most needing to be addressed across schools,” said Norrell, adding this concern mirrors feedback from union leadership, as well as published articles on student behavior challenges on the rise nationally since the pandemic years.
“Thriving for Excellence From Inside Out,” the theme for the district, puts much needed attention on the “whole child,” which includes students’ experiences and feelings as well as how they are performing in math and reading, she said..
“We need to look at the behavior in order for a child to reach his or her full potential,” insisted Norrell. “They need to know how to act, how to engage. They need to understand that in order to get respect, you have to give it.”
This year’s mantra – “In District 131 I Am Respected” – encompasses a system-wide approach to addressing behavior that also encompasses faculty and staff as well as parents, all of whom have faced unprecedented challenges since the pandemic turned education upside down. It’s a campaign the district has taken to the streets, with the first of as many as six billboards that went up on the East Side of Aurora encouraging students to “give it your all” this year.
Placing more emphasis on behavior to help children reach their full potential is not unique to East Aurora. Several districts told me mental health and behavioral issues were already being addressed before 2020, but the pandemic only exacerbated negative behavior that educators were not equipped to handle.
Rather than a rule-based punitive system, schools are now putting more emphasis on helping children learn how to manage their emotions through “restorative practices,” a strategy that focuses on repairing relationships and helping students understand the consequences of their behavior while also learning from it.
At a recent board meeting, Indian Prairie School District 204 officials gave a full presentation on the topic, referring to this shifting in behavior as a nationwide trend that, for reasons not clearly understood, includes disrespect, insubordination, slurs and reckless conduct.
While recognizing that the vast majority of students do what is right and applauding the staff who work with them, presenters also insisted “there is always room for improvement.”
West Aurora School District 129’s focus on behavior kicked into high gear last year when it expanded its restorative program with Family Counseling Services that began in 2023. One of the goals is to identify students who might be at risk of disciplinary action by pairing them with certified behavioral coaches to help them learn how to form stronger relationships and social and interpersonal skills.
Although the district has “transitioned out of the community partnership grant, we intend to continue providing these supports through the district’s financial resources,” said Marti Neahring, executive director of student and family services, noting that the number of coaches grew last year from the original five to one in each of the 10 elementary schools, and now this year there is also a restorative practice coach in the high school.
Oswego-based School District 308’s push in this direction began last year as well, with the creation of “community circles” in some classrooms that emphasized “what we do impacts all of us,” said Jeremy Bell, assistant superintendent of student services.
That concept expanded across the district and into this year with district leaders holding their own discussion circles at a leadership retreat. Among the questions that District 308 officials began to ask: What are the non-negotiables when it comes to acceptable behavior? What do we do when norms and commitments are broken? What does it look like when a child who harmed someone else comes back into the classroom?
“We have to have some norms,” Bell added, “but the way we interact with each other is not always scripted or canned.”
According to school leaders, these practices are not intended to replace discipline, but rather enrich the tool kit that helps students learn to navigate their emotions and situations. Students today are different from the past because social norms have changed, insisted Bell, “but that does not mean they are not coachable and teachable.”
At East Aurora, Norrell told me later, the idea is to “reset the button and talk about what is acceptable for our kids.”
But that word “respect,” she noted, cuts both ways.
At the end of her virtual staff presentation, Norrell announced that, in order to help alleviate the shortage in substitutes, an issue that put extra pressure on teachers who often give up planning periods to fill vacancies, 30 administrators will now be used at least twice a month to help with subbing.
“This is a system-wide approach,” she reiterated. “We have to constantly model how we make it through the challenges of life.”
