>>Teacher: Good morning, students and staff,
we're ready for another great day of learning at--
>>Narrator: Like most urban districts, Louisville,
Kentucky's schools have faced myriad challenges, from high numbers
of children on free and reduced lunch,
to escalating fights and rising suspensions.
>>Alicia: There were a lot of factors that played
into the scores being low.
There was not a caring, learning environment that allowed teachers
to teach and students to learn.
>>Paul: We had a whole lot of bullying going on around here,
kids getting scared to come to school,
people be hitting people, more violent stuff.
>>Teacher: Okay, we've been discussing bullying all week long.
>>Narrator: In two thousand eight, a comprehensive initiative called CARE
for Kids was adopted by dozens of elementary
and middle schools in Jefferson County.
It featured a laser beam focus on social emotional skills,
spearheaded by Superintendent Shelly Berman.
>>Sheldon: There's a pretty complex puzzle that we have to put together
to have a successful school, but a foundational element
of that puzzle is the culture and climate of that school.
And when students feel safe...
>>Alicia: Hello, sweet girl, you have a good day, okay?
>>Sheldon: When they feel that that culture and climate supports them,
when they feel cared about, not only by the adults in the school,
but by other students in the school, they can do their best.
>>Teacher: And that does sound good, "My teacher teaches terrifically."
I like that alliteration too.
>>Teacher: Let's talk about what respectful group work in science,
what does it look like, what does it sound like and what does it feel
like when we do those things?
>>Narrator: In every classroom, teachers help students decide
on detailed class norms for behavior.
>>Teacher: This is the list I got from you.
We're happy, we're proud, and what does it sound like?
>>Level one.
>>Very good job.
>>Teacher: We're working together, Germaine.
>>Help them if they need help.
>>Help them if they need home.
>>Alicia: Less instructional time is lost
because we're teaching the skills up front and so that when it is time
for academics, we're learning and we're not stopping
at various times to address conflicts.
And it's teaching the students how to have ownership and have voice.
>>Keirsi: I think level zero in the hallway is a good rule,
because if we were talking and it's this little thing on the top,
and echoes come out of it.
And classes might be up there learning something
and we can disturb them easily.
>>Teacher: Look at the name on your piece of paper and think
of something nice to say about that person.
>>Good morning, Storm.
>>Good morning, Deirdre.
>>I like your humor.
>>Sheldon: It isn't touchy feely stuff, it's core social skills
that gives students the experience and the knowledge and talent
to work effectively with others.
>>Thanks for always being nice.
>>Sheldon: This is serious work.
It's serious work to create a sense of community.
>>Teacher: How did it feel to say something nice about someone else?
>>Student: It felt good, because I actually gotta say something positive
about somebody.
>>Student: Yours was a fight, right, fighting?
You all had a fight?
>>Physical.
>>Yeah, physical.
>>Sheldon: Developmental discipline is looking
for appropriate consequences.
For example, a student pushes another student,
or takes something away from another student.
You might say, "Well, let's give that student a detention
so they have to stay after school."
But that isn't an appropriate consequence,
that isn't a direct consequence.
A student doesn't necessarily learn anything from that.
The appropriate consequence may be to write an apology
or to directly apologize to that student,
and it's also teaching them conflict resolution skills.
>>Student: Do you think you can show better judgment
than what you did in the gym?
>>Teacher: Now look, look what you've got here.
You already got a good start right there.
>>Bill: We reduced our placements of in school suspensions in half.
We have increased our attendance, our pupil attendance,
every single pupil month as compared to the previous year,
so created an environment, I think, of less problems in the classroom
and in the school in terms of behavior,
and a sense of students wanting to be at school.
>>Alicia: Our academic index overall, reading, math, every content area,
we were at a fifty-three.
We're now at an eighty-two and our math score is up to a ninety-four.
>>Joanna: Tell Jasmine what you think is special about her.
>>I like when you share with me.
>>Thank you-- Carolyn.
>>Joanna: The whole morning meeting not only sets a really good tone
for the students, but it sets a tone for me.
>>Thanks for filling my bucket.
>>Joanna: How did they fill your bucket today, Jasmine?
>>Because they was real nice to me.
>>Joanna: They're excited, they want to be here.
I've had parents say, "My daughter's sick today,
but she cried 'cause she really wanted to come to school.
You know, what are you all doing?"
>>Richard: Now stay in line, don't run, don't run.
>>I like this program and I see this program that's been implemented
and it works, because I was here and I seen it for myself.
>>See you tomorrow, okay, buddy?
>>At the end of the day, those kids getting on those buses,
with a smile on their face, my job is done.
I can safely go home and say, "You know what,
when they came this morning, they had smiles
and when they left they had smiles."
Our job is done, because of CARE.
>>Your mom's outside, your mom's right there Madison.
>>Narrator: For more information about what works
in public education, go to Edutopia.org.