May Institute

Positive Schools Program

May Institute's Positive SchoolsSM is a school-wide behavior support program that has gained national recognition for its effective, research-based practices. The program improves school climates by providing training and consultation on effective disciplinary practices and student social skills development. Schools teach, encourage, and support positive behavior, creating an environment conducive to learning. This results in dramatic decreases in disruptive behavior, office referrals, and suspensions. It also significantly increases on-task engagement and academic performance, as well as student and teacher satisfaction. It is a cost-effective program that can reduce the need for out-of-school placements.

Positive Schools utilizes doctoral-level consultants who work with a school’s team to design and implement a plan, and build internal capacity to sustain that plan. Its comprehensive approach addresses each school's specific needs at a school-wide, class-wide, and individual student level.

Program Components

The Positive Schools program provides a minimum of 15 days on-site consultation and training, as well as off-site consultation, program evaluation, and monitoring. The program includes the following elements, which are customized to meet the needs of each individual school:

  • Comprehensive school-wide and classroom-wide behavior support plans

  • Effective methods to deliver instruction

  • Effective behavior support strategies

  • Student and staff incentive programs

  • Professional training and development

  • Technical assistance to ensure successful implementation and replication

  • Data collection and analysis

  • Project evaluation including performance measurement, teacher satisfaction surveys, and parent feedback

Before the Positive Schools program was implemented in one large urban school, students typically disrupted class by walking around, talking to peers, throwing things, and refusing to participate. Within four months of program implementation, disruptive behavior in one classroom decreased by 69 percent, and academic engagement increased by 76 percent.

For more information, contact Kate Bray at 781.437.1455, or kbray@mayinstitute.org.