Decision Making Room and Cardinal Choices

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Decision Making Room and Cardinal Choices

• A PROGRAM FOR CORKRAN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

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Special thanks to personnel and schools within
Anne Arundel County whose materials were borrowed
and/or adapted in creating our program. Cardinal
Choices Current Members Debbie Montgomery,
Principal Wendy Slaughter, Assistant
Principal Lee Devereaux, Decision Making Room
Coordinator Bridgitte Hammaker, School Social
Worker Tammy Shelton, School Psychologist Joyce
Spring, Guidance Counselor Jessica Gonzales,
Guidance Counselor
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Decision Making Room Procedure

• Student reports to Main Office after being
  removed from class
• Office staff/administrator contacts DMR
  coordinator to alert pending arrival
• Student completes a Student Action Plan
• DMR coordinator discusses plan with student and
  counsels them on how to make better decisions
• Student completes behavior work assigned by DMR
  coordinator and/or class work assigned by teacher
• Administrator will determine if and when student
  may return to class (most students return to
  their next class)

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DMR Rules

• Remain quiet
• Remain in your assigned seat
• If you have questions raise your hand
• Do your best, be good students, and make smart
  decisions
• Follow CHAMPs guidelines

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CHAMPs for DMR

• C Communication (May I talk?)
• H Help (How do I ask for help?)
• A Activity (What should I do in DMR?)
• M Movement (May I get out of my seat?)
• P Participation (What will it look like if I am
  working correctly?)

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Cardinal Choices

• What is it?
• PBIS initiative
• Proactive intervention for yellow and red zone
  children.
• Progress is closely monitored and the program is
  evolving.

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Cardinal Choices Overview

• Purpose
• The goal of this program is to
• Increase the time that children are available for
  instruction by decreasing their office referrals.
• Build positive relationships with Mentor Coaches,
  Decision Making Room Coordinator, and School
  Social Worker.
• To increase home/school communication.
• To proactively intervene to increase positive
  behavior.

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Mentor Coach

• Children are assigned a Mentor Coach.
• The mentor will meet with the child at least 15
  minutes per week.
• The Mentor Coach provides support and
  encouragement in making positive choices.
• They celebrate success.

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Mentor Coach Recruitment and Development

• Voluntary
• Mentor training to introduce Mentor Coach
  concepts
• Mid year luncheon to share what is working
• Student goal sheet
• Getting to know you sheet

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Student Comments about their Mentor Coach

• Comments from students about their Mentor Coach
• You helped me to improve my work, care for other
  people, understand other people, improve my
  behavior, have respect for teachers, to be good,
  and to improve my social skills.
• I appreciated you being there for me all the
  time, that you treated me well and gave me
  chances, when you helped me and believed in me
  when no one else would, and for being there when
  I was down.
• Thank you for helping me all of the time, being
  there to listen to my problems, considering my
  feelings, not assuming I was wrong, and helping
  me when I was in trouble or when I was about to
  get in trouble.

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Behavior Management

• Daily progress report.
• Children are required to check in and check out
  each day.
• Children are required to have their point sheet
  signed by their parent nightly to increase
  parent/school communication.

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Levels

• The children will gain independence from the
  program by working themselves through a series of
  levels that will include rewards for progress and
  consequences when they are not meeting success on
  their daily progress sheet.

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Parent/Guardian Permission

• Explains program in a nutshell.
• Informs parents that school staff will meet
  individually with their child.
• Student can only participate with parent
  permission.

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Daily Progress Report

• Given to student at A.M. Check-In.
• Carbon copy returned at P.M. Check-In.
• Original taken home for parent signature.

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RULES

• Point sheets must be initialed by classroom
  teacher at the time of class.
• Parents signature on previous days point sheet
  earns student 6 points toward that days total
  points.
• Failure to appear at A.M. Check-in to pick up
  point sheet will result in a ZERO for the day.

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Rules

• A suspension results in dropping one level.
• 3 unsuccessful attempts at one level will result
  in dropping one level.
• Forgery and/or altercation of points or
  signatures will result in dropping one level.

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Level Sheets

• A notebook with Level Sheets is kept in the DMR
  Room
• Students can review their progress daily
• Student progress is reported to appropriate
  school staff weekly.

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Level Sheets

• Students can receive a total of 100 points
• A.M. Check-in 7point
• Parent signature 6 points
• P.M. Check-in 7 point
• Progress sheet 100 points
• Successful/unsuccessful day is recorded.