Behavioral program expands after success in student absentee rates

Article content

New Brunswick’s education minister says data is showing a new behavioural pilot program is leading to better behaviour and improving attendance at participating anglophone schools.

Education Minister Bill Hogan said the “positive behaviour intervention support” pilot program will continue to expand until it is in every school in the province.

He held a news conference in Harvey, one of the places where the program has been piloted since 2022, to announce the success and expansion.

Hogan said absentee rates among students in the pilot schools dropped from an average of 15.4 per cent in November 2022 to an average of 11.5 per cent in December 2023.

He noted serious misbehaviour in the participating schools also dropped by about 10 per cent, despite a 10 percent increase in student enrolment.

The program, which aims to create a positive, safe and inclusive environment for students, started in 10 schools in 2022 and expanded to 15 schools in 2024.

“The issue is: start small, be successful, and then enlarge and grow the success,” Hogan said. “When you try to implement things province-wide, you sometimes don’t see the success we’re seeing right now.”

Hogan said the province will eventually take the “leap” and the program will be included in all provincial schools, but he did not provide a timetable for that.

The program involves teachers, support staff, administrators and counsellors all putting a greater focus on responsibility, accountability, safety and respect through positive reinforcement, support, and check-ins to keep students in school and engaged in class.

Hogan said the program’s success is in part due to “behaviour intervention mentors,” who he noted play a huge role in the program’s success. During the announcement he said the province has added another 40 monitors, bringing the anglophone sector total to 166.

Hogan said the mentors work to support teachers and the students who need support, to identify the root causes of the challenges they are facing.

“This personalized intervention has resulted in happier and more confident students who are able to stay in their classroom with their peers to learn,” he said.

Harvey Elementary School principal Julie Holt said participating in the program has allowed the school to “focus on the ‘why’ of our students’ behaviours.”

“Reframing our perspective using a trauma-informed approach, as well as ensuring that those within the school community are understanding the expectations within the school, provides a consistency that is needed to be successful,” she said.

New Brunswick Teachers’ Association president Peter Lagacy said the program is a win-win for everyone involved.

“Classrooms and schools reflect the many challenging realities we are seeing in our communities right now, making access to timely professional support for students essential,” he said. “Students feel safe, supported and ready to learn.”