DUQUESNE, Pa. — A House System program in the Duquesne City School District, funded through a Tugboat Grant by Remake Learning, led to a 74% reduction in behavior incidents and referrals among 7th- and 8th-grade students at a middle school near Pittsburgh. The program also helped improve attendance for some 7th-grade students, according to a press release.
The House System, similar to the Harry Potter student sorting, places students into “houses” that represent a positive personality trait, like friendship, bravery or kindness. Students earn points for their house through positive behaviors and achievements, such as compassion, teamwork and academic excellence. Competition encourages each house to try to earn the most points by the end of the school year, and the Tugboat Grant enabled DCSD to provide prizes and a store for students as rewards.
“I’m not sure I could have ever anticipated how well the implementation of the House System could have gone,” Sue Mariani, Duquesne City School District Superintendent, said. “The students truly bought into the family-like atmosphere we were trying to replicate within the House System.”
Mariani shared an example of how the House System helps students.
“Two students involved in a hallway altercation were asked to resolve the issue during a House Meeting, with the guidance of a staff mentor,” Mariani said. “The structure of these peer-led restorative conversations allowed both students to express how they felt, reflect on the impact of their actions and reach a mutual resolution — something that would have previously resulted in a suspension or office referral.”
Mariani says the House System helps students build confidence, make new friendships and learn how to respond to social setbacks.
The House System is a program developed by the Ron Clark Academy and used by school districts around the world.
Remake Learning’s Tugboat Grants have awarded nearly $2.5 million for educational innovation in southwest Pennsylvania as part of the Future Driven Schools initiative.
“Tugboat Grants offer school districts the opportunity to test small ideas that can lead to big changes,” Tyler Samstag, Director of Remake Learning, said. “When an idea succeeds in one district, other educators can learn from that success and adapt it to fit their own district’s needs.”
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