With Liberty and Justice for All: Intervention Plans

With Liberty and Justice for All

How an intervention plan can eradicate injustices for all students

BY PAUL G. YOUNG, PH.D.

Iwoke up from a nightmarish dream recently. I saw myself as a principal, ready to lead the Pledge of Allegiance during the morning announcements, but suddenly unable to remember the words. When I awoke from the dream, I grabbed my phone on my bedstand to Google the pledge, reassuring myself of the words and their meaning.

As a principal for nearly 20 years, I supervised the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance more than 3,500 times. My staff, students, and I had it memorized. Many days, the recitation became so routine that no one thought much about it. That is, until you can’t recall the words!

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

It was those final few words - indivisible, with liberty and justice for all - that had become a fog in my memory. After I reassured myself of what they were, I started reflecting on them and wondering whether, as the leader of my school community, if I had actually fulfilled that pledge to my country by treating all of my students in ways that today, 20 years later, they would affirm and acknowledge that my staff and I worked hard to address injustices and violations of their freedoms.

During my time of reflection, my thoughts centered on one particular student, Adam. He was a third grader, small for his age, with a filthy mouth. His vocabulary–somewhat limited during language arts class–was filled with more four-letter words than anyone else on the playground. He was a bully, and other kids bullied him. He was perpetually in trouble. He came from an impoverished, single-parent home. He had few, if any, friends. Most kids purposefully tried to stay away from him. He was constantly seeking attention in any way he could get it. His academic progress was stalled by daily behavioral issues.

As I reflected, I wondered if as a third grader he could have fully understood the scope of the injustices he was experiencing in his life at that time. He was poor. His father was nowhere to be found. Our team suspected that he was malnourished, sleep deprived, and experiencing trauma at home. Today, knowing the research findings about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), we would have identified the potential for a very high score. His attention-seeking behaviors were interfering with his opportunity to freely learn, and his personal conduct was also violating the freedoms of the other kids in his class.

My staff and I had discussed Adam’s case during Intervention Assistance Team (IAT) meetings for several years. None of the interventions we had implemented seemed to be effective or result in desired change.

Then one morning, Adam’s third grade teacher proposed a unique management/supervision plan. It eventually became known throughout our school as the “Adam Plan.”

She had drafted an adult supervision proposal for Adam in which all staff members were to be accountable for his whereabouts from the time he stepped on the playground for morning line-up until he was dismissed in the afternoon. He was instructed to report to the morning duty teacher, whoever that was. Each duty teacher was notified that they were to be on the lookout for him. Adam was to become the “shadow” of that adult. He was not allowed to be further than earshot away. Once the morning bell rang, the duty teacher passed him off to the next adult, and that adult to the next and so forth. Adam’s teacher had prepared a schedule and identified the staff members that Adam would interact with under direct supervision. Adam’s desk was always placed within close proximity to the teacher. He was never to be allowed in the boys’ restroom with others. He was to use the restroom alone, but if necessary, the teacher would select a responsible and trusted student to go with him who Adam would not intimidate.

It took some convincing to get all of the adults involved to agree to the plan. I gave it my full endorsement. I recognized that it might appear to be punitive for Adam, but the return on investment of everyone’s time could also provide a respite for other kids.

We agreed to try the intervention plan for a couple weeks. Adam’s teacher explained her expectations to the young boy and his mother. She was supportive of anything we might try.

Within two weeks, the name-calling and foul language (especially on the playground) had stopped. Adam had lost his “freedom” to threaten other kids when they were out of sight of the playground supervisors. Likewise, other kids could no longer tattle and blame things–some of which were not Adam’s fault–on him. Adam’s attitude improved. He seemed to like the plan because, as we discovered, he liked getting the one-on-one positive attention adults were giving him. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were implementing a form of what Education Leadership (EL) would later describe as a “2 x 10 Conversation.”

Our intervention plan was an attempt to regain the trust of a very challenging student. He was encouraged to talk with every adult who was assigned to supervise him (as well as the other kids on the playground and elsewhere). He soon grew to enjoy and respond appropriately to that attention.

Those informal conversations, at first, were initiated by the adult(s). Soon, Adam would start talking on his own. Each day, his sense of trust grew stronger. We were able to direct his thinking to focus on the competencies of social emotional learning (SEL) – (1) self-awareness, (2) selfmanagement, (3) social-awareness, (4) relationshipbuilding, and (5) responsible decision-making. His anger and any resistance to our plan dissipated. His attitude improved. So did his grades. Complaints from the parents of other students in his class also came to a halt.

The Motivation for Sharing This Story

During my tenure as a principal, I struggled with what was then called “leveling the playing field.” My school was identified as a Title I school. We received extra funding that provided access to learning opportunities commonly found in more affluent school communities. I worked to provide fairness and equity for the disadvantaged without trying to impose on the freedom and rights of others. Perhaps like you, I felt that every child deserved a right to learn in the least restrictive environment (LRE). But I struggled most with those situations where one child’s disruptive behavior interfered with others’ opportunities to teach and learn. I also discovered during my principalships that when all of the adults (not just some) knew how to supervise and manage students effectively, our challenging kids were less likely to get into situations where they would become disruptive. Bullying at school can be reduced by intentionally increasing effective adult supervision.

While a principal, and as a teacher, I’d often get furious when things became disruptive. Somewhere in my tenure I learned to become curious, rather than furious, and start reflecting and analyzing why things happened as they did. What I discovered was that most kids–and adults–performed in undesirable ways when they did not know or understand what my expectations were. I had to teach! My staff wanted consistency, and I expected it. My staff performed better when they knew I would be inspecting what I expected.

Summary

Times are tough. Every generation feels that. People love to complain about current conditions and dream of better times gone by. But if you learn to tackle the situations at hand, teach your expectations, and do what your gut tells you is best for every child, you will make steady progress, fulfilling the meaning of justice and liberty for all.

No one can expect more.

Most of my students were obedient. As in any population, there always were, and always will be, a few outliers who challenge every principle we value. Adam was one of those kids. But we were intentional about creating a better learning environment for him (and his classmates), one in which he would experience a sense of belonging and value.

Our intervention might have appeared harsh to some, but it worked. We were intentionally trying to create opportunities for success, not only for Adam, but his classmates. Creating structures within an inclusive environment where he had little wiggle room eventually increased his sense of belonging and value. I share our story with the hope that the intervention might help your team, and other children, in whatever way you might modify it fit your unique setting.

Recommended Reading Dearborn, G. & Sturgeon, S. (2019) Yeah, But What About This Kid? Tier 3 Behavior Interventions That Work. Portsmouth, NH: Stenhouse Publishers. Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2016). Show & Tell: A Video Column / Two Times Ten Conversations. Education Leadership, Volume 74, Number 1, ASCD. Maxwell, J. (2021). Leading in Tough Times: Overcome Even the Greatest Challenges with Courage and Confidence. New York: Hachette Book Group, Inc. Mendler, A. (2001). Connecting with Students. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

About the Author Paul G. Young, Ph.D., is retired from professional service as a teacher, Lancaster elementary school principal, afterschool program director, and an adjunct professor at Ohio University-Lancaster. He served as president of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators (OAESA), the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and as President & CEO of the National AfterSchool Association (NAA). He is the author of numerous books and articles for principals, teachers, aspiring teachers, and afterschool professionals. He is a frequent presenter at OAESA, NAESP, Ohio Music Education Association and Ohio Afterschool Network conferences. He can be reached at paulyoungohio@gmail.com and on Twitter at @paulyoungohio.