Life Skills Classes Proposal

Life Skills Classes Proposal

CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT:

Recognized by the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the American Association of School Administrators, the National School Boards Association, and the states of New York and California, among others. CDP scientifically demonstrates that nurturing a student's intrinsic desire to learn, cultivating supportive relationships, and promoting the child's sense of common purpose and commitment to prosocial values are effective. It is a multifaceted school-change program that involves elementary school students of all grade levels, the students' families, teachers, and school administrators. CDP can be implemented in virtually any rural, suburban, or urban school.

PROVEN RESULTS:

1. Decreased substance use (alcohol use fell 11%; marijuana use fell 2%; tobacco use fell 8%).

2. Increased liking for school, enjoyment of class, and motivation to learn.

3. Greater skill at resolving conflicts and an increased sense of social competence.

4. Greater concern for others and more frequent altruistic behavior.

5. Strengthens children's sense of community and commitment to democratic values.

STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS:

Teacher Training

Youth Coping/Life Skills

Training of Providers

Bonding to School

School/Home Relationship Building

Youth Decision-Making Skills

Community Service

ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS:

Building warm, stable, supportive relationships among all members of the school community;

Attending to the intellectual, social, and ethical dimensions of learning in an integrated manner;

Teaching in ways that promote students' understanding and make learning meaningful for them; and

Honoring and fostering students' intrinsic motivation to learn.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS:

Foster cross-age/cross-grade relationships.

Promote parental involvement in their child's learning.

Build connections between school and the families it serves.

Introduce a values-rich, literature-based reading program.

Multiple cooperative learning activities that can be used across the curriculum.

A "teaching" approach to classroom management that helps students take responsibility for establishing classroom norms and for managing their own behavior.

TRAINING:

A 2-day training-of-trainers institute for school and district office teams conducted by trained faculty.

Print and video "collegial study packages" containing materials that guide the school's staff through a collaborative approach to learning about each component of CDP.

MATERIALS:

At Home in Our Schools, book, 1 per teacher

That's My Buddy, book, 1 per teacher

Homeside Activities, book, 1 per teacher

The only ongoing costs are for replacement books for new teachers and any needed follow up staff development.