James. P. Comer, MD, MPH

By James P. Comer, MD, MPH

The first inch along the journey from school to prison is often taken at home and during early school. Too many caretakers respond to what is often challenging but normal child efforts to survive and thrive in harsh and punitive ways. This was once an accepted approach to child rearing. But brain and social science research shows that a caring, supportive approach to helping children acquire the skills and capacities needed to manage their fears, aggression, feelings, impulses--largely responsible for what is expressed as "bad behavior"--is a much more effective way to support desirable development, behavior, and learning.

About 40 years ago the aunt of an 8-year-old boy, over a weekend, brought him from a supportive environment in rural North Carolina to live with her and go to school in New Haven, Connecticut. On Monday she dropped him at his new school. He was taken directly into his new classroom to a teacher who had had three transfers the week before. Frustrated about such turnover she moved her head in a way that the student experienced as rejection. In a difficult situation with no support, he panicked, kicked the teacher in the leg, and ran out.

In many schools, then and now, that would be the first inch of movement along the school-to-prison pipeline.

It was the kind of behavior that gets a child sent to the principal, scolded, and sent back to a tension filled classroom. Somebody teases him about the incident, and he or she punches the tormentor in the mouth, and is again sent back to the principal; and it goes around and around and around, with the child getting angrier; eventually acting up and acting out; or withdrawing in powerless defeat.

He's eventually labeled a "bad" or "troubled" child; sometimes an inattentive and poor learner. Sometimes the child begins to embrace and act out the labels. And then he's sent off to see somebody like me--a child psychiatrist--or a psychologist or social worker to have his head fixed. Even worse, he receives no help and is suspended or expelled. Significant bad feelings about self and school grow, and academic performance declines sharply. This is movement beyond an inch, maybe a mile, along the prison pipeline. But in the case of this student, and many others, there's nothing wrong with the child that supportive interactions with school staff, students, and programs would not prevent or fix.

The greater problem was a school setting in which the adults did not understand how transitions without adequate discussions with, and support for, the child could lead to troublesome behavior. It would have been a rare 8, 10, even 17-year-old who might have on his own explained, "Mrs. Jones, I'm new in the community, and I've lost my entire support network, and I would very much appreciate it if you would help me with my anxiety."

Actually, many problem behaviors in all schools among the young of all ages are due to social interaction challenges beyond the capacity of the students to manage well, and not understood and addressed by staff.

After our Yale team discussed the challenge and skill mismatch with the staff and they planned ways to create a warm and supportive environment I said of the "kick and run behavior," "That was an example of fight and flight, not just fight or flight." What I thought was a clever play on words and meaning that all would understand elicited blank stares. No one had been taught this most basic human fear or threat response in their educator preparation program; knowledge absolutely required to work with children.

By helping the staff of this low-income, very low achieving, African-American school create a supportive culture that helped students acquire the skills and capacities needed to behave and learn well, many students who might have otherwise begun a troublesome journey, continued or began to succeed in school.

Our society could simultaneously improve education, decrease prison and other problem behavior populations, and save money by investing in helping parents and educators better support the development of our young.

Two Comer schools focus of PBS documentary 

By Cynthia R. Savo and Catherine Romaine Henderson

Dr. James P. Comer attended a preview screening in Hartsville and participated in a live panel discussion following a 45-minute, edited version of the documentary. When asked what the film's strongest take-away was, Dr. Comer said, "In the end, it's not about the adults. We can't learn for the children. We have to create an environment where they want to learn. That's what we saw in the film. We saw children who want to learn with the people who care about them."

One of the Comer school principals featured in the film, Tara King, said her exposure to the Comer model was a blessing. "Teaching is a huge responsibility. As educators, we are charged with making our students successful. Successful means they leave us prepared for life."

While students today have many challenges, King says, Dr. Comer taught her that by looking at the whole child, educators can make a significant impact. "In this high stakes testing age, we know there is so much more to children than the cognitive aspect. We have to address all of their needs before they even begin to learn."

Camille J. Cooper, Ed.D.

The Comer SDP's work in Hartsville, a major component of the Partners for Unparalleled Local Scholastic Excellence (PULSE) initiative of the TEACH Foundation, is led by Dr. Camille J. Cooper, the SDP's  Director of Teaching, Learning, and Development.  

After 180 Days: Hartsville

After 180 Days: Hartsville is a panel discussion that includes an interview with Dr. Camille J. Cooper. To view the interview with her, click here, then go to 17:50 minutes. 

Comer stresses need for developmental focus in education at national Success for All conference 

James P. Comer, MD, MPH

By Cynthia R. Savo

Dr. James P. Comer gave keynote presentation to an enthusiastic crowd of more than 750 principals and teachers at the Success for All Foundation's 2015 Experienced Sites Conference on February 9, 2015 in New Orleans. He spoke about his own upbringing and family influences and about how this experience inspires his own commitment to help schools focus on child development, not just academics.

"The Family Support and Solutions Team components of Success for All owe a lot to the example of the School Development Program, and it was wonderful for our staff and school partners to hear from the founder," said Dr. Robert Slavin, chairman of the Success for All Foundation and the director of the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University.

"I have a high regard for Bob Slavin, and we have a mutual respect for one another's work. Although our efforts to work together did not happen, we worked separately and got similar outcomes. Of 29 comprehensive school reform models, Success for All and the School Development Program were two of the three found to be effective in raising student achievement," said Dr. Comer.