Within the culture of educational settings for at risk youth, teachers must implement academic programming to troubled youth who have often had a history of academic failure. Understanding what teachers in these settings do to create positive learning environments in their classrooms is critical for identifying factors that influence positive outcome for students in such programs.
BHB Education Consulting can offer School Districts either professional development workshops to present research and identify effective teacher practice for strengthening classroom environment for at risk youth or can work with School Districts in a more comprehensive manner to analyze current practice and make recommendations for enhancement based on empirical research.

BHB Consulting Can Provide:

• Series of 2 hour workshops for alternative teachers and also regular education teachers who refer students to an alternative education setting
• Incorporated into the workshops would be:
• Professional development which addresses components of the BHB theory - helping educators identify proven strategies of effective teacher practice (taken from empirical research including the BHB Theory – Haggis, 2011) that influences building a positive learning environment for troubled youth in their classrooms.
PURPOSE of the workshops would be to provide PD to the teachers of at risk kids – An Overview of research that would help educators reflect on their own teaching practices and identify how to strengthen relationship building, social skill development and maintain high expectations for students. Restructuring teacher practice can ultimately affect academic success for at risk youth by increasing student ownership in their education.

• A more comprehensive PD/Consulting endeavor would cover a series of continued workshops and/or continued consultation services over a period of time in order to:
• Identification of the needs and challenges of the districts/schools/teachers working with at risk students
• Establishment of work groups/committees to discuss current work and identify areas of challenge
• School tours/observations for the purpose of discussion with all stake holders – and then create ideas for enhancement.
• Formulation of strategies to enhance the work - designed to help at risk youth meet with success in school
• Development of an outline/recommendations for practice that could be used to strengthen daily practice within the district/school/classroom
PURPOSE of this work would be to provide comprehensive assistance to the teachers of at risk youth in order to:
--- Strengthen core programs
--- Increase attendance and buy in
--- Help meet state standards in terms of rigor (e.g. linking programming with the HS curriculum or creating competency based work and building relationships with the regular education and special education teachers of the district)
--- Work to reduce the number of students being referred to an alternative program by strengthening daily practice within classrooms where referrals are made
--- Or assist institutional settings to build a capacity for success within their unique alternate environment