Two dozen Japanese teachers from a government-sponsored teaching program are visiting D.C.’s Clark Elementary School today to learn about a thriving behavior-modification program that leaders say has enhanced student performance.
Clark Principal Brearn Wright Jr., who is in his second year at the helm of the Northwest D.C. school, told The Examiner he was honored to hear that the international educators wanted to observe classrooms in his school.
“You always hear about problems in D.C. schools, but this is something that’s going right,” he said.
The behavior program — Positive Behavior Intervention Services (PBIS) — focuses on reinforcing positive behavior by students rather than punishing them for acting up. Wright said Clark teachers dole out tokens, which can be redeemed for tangible rewards.
The school also is unique in that it has partnerships with both Sports4Kids and Center for Inspired Teaching. Wright said the Sports4Kids program, which is new this school year,has resulted in a much more structured recess.
The teaching partnership provides professional development through five week long training sessions during the school year.
According to the D.C. State Superintendent’s Office, Clark’s test scores have been improving at the same time that student behavior problems have been dropping.
For instance, between 2006 and 2007 students’ math scores have risen 10 percent while reading scores have increased about 2 percent.
The goal for today’s visit is to expose the Japanese teachers to the partnerships that have contributed to the turnaround. They will spend half of the day observing teachers in their classes and then sit down with teachers and students.
Yuki Shiino, the Japanese coordinator for the National Center for Teachers Development, said she learned of Clark when she surfed the Web and read about its behavior modification program.
Teachers from across Japan come to the United States annually to be exposed to new ideas for teaching the whole student.
“In Japan, there’s a big problem with students not coming to school, so we’re trying to find ways to change this,” she said. “We like to have relationships with U.S. schools to see what they’re doing.”
