Results from the Field – Long Beach, California

Long Beach Unified School District, the third largest district in Californai, is a diverse urban district serving more than 97,000 students in 95 schools. In March 2003, they began working with us to improve school climate and academic progress by using many of our Safe & Civil Schools key components:

START on Time! – Randy Sprick's latest guidebook for reducing tardiness and increasing instructional time
Foundations – the complete guide for desinging a positive and proactive schoolwide discipline plan
CHAMPS – a proactive, positive approach to classroom managment
Interventions – a comprehensive resource for building-based consultation and collaboration in working with students at risk

Twenty schools decided to participate in the Safe and Civil Schools Initiative—two elementary schools, five K-8 schools, eleven middle schools, and two high schools. Results for the first year of this three-year program are now in, and they are impressive.

Here's a look at what a few of these schools have accomplished with their own effort and START on Time!

Franklin Middle School

Data

Comments

40% reduction in tardies

Tardiness has decreased from roughly 500 tardies/week to roughly 300 tardies/week.

The program is making a huge difference at Franklin because we all believe in it and are committed to using the program.

Hamilton Middle School

Data	Comments
50% reduction in tardies during the first trimester	Tardies last year totaled 6,773 for the first trimester alone. If each tardy is 3 minutes that means 20,319 minutes of instruction were lost... Because of the "start on time" interventions, it was estimated that 10,134 minutes of instruction have been recaptured.

Hill Middle School

Data

Comments

21% decrease in the first semester

First semester tardies have decreased from 1411 in 2002-03 to 1118 this year.

This program has helped to make our school a safer, calmer place. It has also provided us strategies to support the teachers in dealing with students in a more positive manner. We are also able to provide data to show improvement. It provides a unified effort with clear expectations for staff and students...

Jefferson Middle School

Data	Comments
52% decrease compared to last year	There has been a school improvement in tardies due to Start on Time.

Marshall Middle School

Data

Comments

86% reduction in tardies

We had an average of 100-125 tardies per day in October, including both excused and unexcused. Based on this tally, the Safe and Civil team unanimously decided to implement the positive sweeps included within the START on Time! program. The program was taught to staff during the 45-minute staff meeting. It was presented to students through a 20-minute advisory period lesson. Marshall is currently in week five of the Start on Tiime program and now has an average of 18 tardies per day.

Stephens Middle School

Data	Comments
72% decrease from last year	Last year, average of 250 tardies per day. Currently, the average has dipped to 70 per day.

You can read more about the Safe and Civil Schools Initiative in the LBUSD newsletter, School Zone, at www.lbusd.k12.ca.us/Speced/Newsletters/103103sa.pdf