Stafford County Schools

George Washington University established a partnership in June, 1999, with Stafford County Schools in Fredericksburg, VA. The partnership focuses on an alternative school that serves a large region of five school districts in suburban and rural Virginia. Students commute as long as 1 hour each way to the school. The school is an alternative to suspension or expulsion from their home school. Participants are referred by their school superintendents. Enrollment in the school is voluntary. Students receive individualized instruction in core academic areas in small classroom settings with a low student-to-teacher ratio of 15 to one. They participate in a behavior management plan when onsite.

Students in the intervention receive instruction in a social skills curriculum, Positive Adolescent Choices Training (PACT) (Hammond, 1990; Hammond et al., 1990). This curriculum is designed to teach high-risk youth negotiation and problem-solving skills in small groups through role playing. A comparison group is being drawn from the population of students with similar risk factors from regular schools that feed the target alternative school.

The following elements of successful or promising strategies to attenuate aggressive behaviors are being used in this school:	Each of the intervention's components were implemented as follows:
Small class sizes Reduced course loads Individualized academic programs Increased attention from adults Close attendance monitoring Parent or guardian involvement program Anger management infusion curriculum	Students at risk for dropping out and behavior problems were identified by school personnel as candidates for the intervention prior to coming to the school for ninth grade. All students coming into the all ninth grade intervention school were assigned to an academic team (approximately 125 students per team). Students participating in the intervention were assigned to the alternative team, where they received special services and other facets of the intervention. Students in the intervention group participated in classes with as few as 15 students per class with a class load reduced to fit their academic needs. Special attention was given to attendance monitoring by advisors, classroom teachers, and team coordinators. A parent/guardian involvement program implemented by counseling interns was integrated into the team's programs. Teachers were expected to integrate anger management into their daily routine and to individualize the curriculum to meet each student's particular issues.

The following elements of successful or promising strategies to attenuate aggressive behaviors are being used in this school:

Each of the intervention's components were implemented as follows:

Small class sizes

Reduced course loads

Individualized academic programs

Increased attention from adults

Close attendance monitoring

Parent or guardian involvement program

Anger management infusion curriculum

Students at risk for dropping out and behavior problems were identified by school personnel as candidates for the intervention prior to coming to the school for ninth grade.

All students coming into the all ninth grade intervention school were assigned to an academic team (approximately 125 students per team). Students participating in the intervention were assigned to the alternative team, where they received special services and other facets of the intervention.

Students in the intervention group participated in classes with as few as 15 students per class with a class load reduced to fit their academic needs.

Special attention was given to attendance monitoring by advisors, classroom teachers, and team coordinators.

A parent/guardian involvement program implemented by counseling interns was integrated into the team's programs.

Teachers were expected to integrate anger management into their daily routine and to individualize the curriculum to meet each student's particular issues.

The core evaluation is being supplemented by qualitative research. A member of the George Washington University team works onsite at the alternative school. Through participant observation and interviews with staff and students, queries on process, attitudes, and perceptions are being conducted to gain insight into delivery of the intervention.