East of the River Clergy, Police and Community Partnership (ERCPCP) supports Ballou High School as it seeks to engage its students in gaining tools needed for a successful way of life. 

BALLOU SHS IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION PROGRAM

ERCPCP has partnered with Ballou Senior High School in the past to implement a program aimed at students which have been identified as truant, to ensure that they attend school regularly and receive passing grades.   This previous relationship has evolved into a new effort to address the issue of truancy from a different angle. On site staff from ERCPCP hosts a daily in-school suspension (ISS) program which allows youth who are being disciplined an opportunity to remain in a structured learning environment, to remain up to date on class work and to focus on the root of their negative behavior.  

This program is a progressive disciplinary measure used as an approach for dealing more positively with student misbehavior and an opportunity to refrain from putting youth on the streets, unsupervised, for extended periods of time. ISS allows disruptive students to be removed from the regular classroom setting and placed in a highly structured environment where they will be able to continue their regular academic work and receive appropriate positive interventions. Emphasis is placed on the examination of the misbehavior, the consequences of such behavior, and methods to make more appropriate decisions in the future. We provide a caring, supportive environment and establish rapport with parents and teachers so that all parties understand our role and work as a team of advocates on behalf of the students. 

Within the framework of a more positive school climate, ISS will be used as a strategy for dealing with behavior problems in a more effective way. It provides an alternative in-school education for referred students to remain in school and receive another chance to resolve their problem in a mutually satisfactory manner to both the student and the referring school personnel. ISS provides opportunities for students to practice good behavior, to accept the responsibility for their own actions, to develop a more positive self-concept and to begin to think critically about the consequences of their continued misbehavior.

ERCPCP/ BALLOU SHS YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

This leadership development program is designed to provide youth with necessary life skills information such as how to negotiate the risks of substance abuse, strategies to address poor academic performance and other social issues. Youth in the summer YLC undergo intensive training in the areas of self awareness, decision-making, employability and social awareness. Additionally, particular attention is given to goal setting, team building, and project planning while emphasizing the importance of applying these skills to community service endeavors.   During the school year, YLC youth actively participate in the planning, promotion and implementation of ERCPCP’s signature Girl Talk and Man 2 Man conferences.  

               

            For more information about programs at Ballou High School please contact:  

Kwadjo Bediako - School Site Coordinator
kbediako@ercpcp.org
202-373-5767