BMTA Results - Therapuetic holds and suspensions - down! Academic achievement - up! Staff attendance - up!

Drop out rate - 39%
Out of school suspension rate - 2 times the national average
Only 30% of students scored proficient or above on English section of standardized assessment
Only 13% of students scored proficient or above on Math section.

This was the picture at the School for Exceptional Studies in Lawrence, MA - an alternative education setting serving k-12 students who had been removed from the traditional school for behavior, mental health and learning issues.

In 2005, Dr. Paul Koppenhaver approached Project Adventure to implement our Behavior Management through Adventure program k-12. His goals were to:

*Develop academic and social competence in students.
*Provide a therapeutically safe learning environment that meets the needs of the "whole child".
*Enable students to become more socially responsible and effectively manage their choices and behaviors.

BMTA was selected as the effective model to achieve those goals.

Seven criteria were established to evaluate:
*Use of physical restraints by staff with students.
*Time on task.
*Type of suspension (in school vs out of school)
*Staff attendance
*Student attendance
*Results on state academic assessments (MCAS)
*Results on a standardized academic assessment instrument (MAPS)

Data shows:
Physical restraints decreased by 47%
2003-2004 1853 restraints performed 2005-2006 978 restraints performed.

Time on task increased
Elementary school in fall of 2004 - 22 minutes per hour fall of 2006 - 26 minutes per hour
Middle school in fall of 2004 - 18 minutes per hour fall of 2006 - 23 minutes per hour

Improved academic development of students
Increase in inferential reasoning skills. MCAS results: Following BMTA implementation, elementary school students performed better than or equal to the two comparison groups on both criteria (passing and proficient) for both sets of tests (English and Math).
MAPS results: Elementary students consistently exceeded the gains of average national student populations (comparison groups from NWEA normative study).

Student Suspension - In School
In school suspensions increased as out of school suspensions decreased showing an ability to keep children in the learning environment.

Teacher Attendance
Creation of a supportive and engaging environment affected staff as well as students.
First 6 months of 2003-2004, teachers were absent for 5.6% of the school days.
First 6 months of 2005-2006, teachers were absent only 3.3% of the school days.
Through out the district, teacher absences increased from 4.4% to 5% over same period - an increase of 13%. Teachers in the BMTA environment had a decrease in absences of 41%

Student Attendance
2003-2004 student absence was 8.4%
2004-2005 student absence was decreased by 10%
2005-2006 student absence was decreased by 19%

BMTA has been implemented in alternative schools, court schools, juvenile justice programs, residential treatment programs and alternative to suspension programs with equal success.

To learn more about how this model can impact your program, contact PA at 800-468-8898 x4619 or info@pa.org.