Programme Rpit-Transit

1) Category:
Specific program

2) Issues Behind the Program:

The proportion of Commission scolaire de Montral (CSDM) students with behavioral problems has tripled in the last 15 years. Barely 20% of the students in special classes manage to be mainstreamed. For the student, being placed in a special class becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (stigmatization) and means the loss of a network and relationships (peers, teachers), and re-adjustment to a new environment (disorientation), etc. Nearly 30% of new teachers leave teaching within the first five years.

3) Objectives:
Enable students with behavioral problems to acquire basic attitudes that allow them to fit into a regular class. Support and mentor teachers by giving them solution-based coaching so they can develop new skills for working with students who have behavioral problems. Provide teachers with respite time for dealing with these problems and for preventing burnout. Foster more openness with regard to the mainstreaming of these students. Help parents regain control of the family situation and enable them to contribute to their childs journey through school. Facilitate exchange and improve collaboration between the school and parents in order to provide students with what they need.

4) Enviroment:
Primary schools Families

5) Target Group:
Students from 6 to 12 years old with behavioral problems Parents of the students

This factsheet was taken from the following website: http://rire.ctreq.qc.ca/.

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6) Key Words:
Programme Rpit-Transit, coeuraction, school-family-community partnership, specific program, behavioral problem, integration, systemic approach, academic success, intervention, prevention, collaboration

7) Description:
Rpit-Transit is a program that involves working with students who have an unresolved record of behavioral problems in school. In accordance with the governments special needs policy, the program favors the mainstreaming of students (integration within the regular classroom). Rpit-Transit is preventive and based on a systemic approach, in other words, action that connects the school and the family, as well as the school and health and social services. The distinguishing feature of the program is that it enables students to continue their studies while getting help for their behavioral problems. Intervention is rapid and validated by numerous professional resources if needed by the student, teacher or parents. The program lasts 8 to 12 weeks. Intake is 6 to 8 students at a time (15 to 25 per school year). The program has two partners, the Centre local des services sociaux (CLSC) and the Centre jeunesse de Montral (CJM).

8) Steps:
I. Service Rpit-Conseil: Assessment of the problem and of the measures used by the school to help the student o II. Verification of the admissibility of the request for assistance: Measures employed, intervention plan, possibilities for the students return to his/her school, etc. Presentation of the program and its requirements (level of commitment) Presentation of the support services that can be offered within the home

Meeting with the parents to go over their childs difficulties: o o

III. IV. V.

Summons: Admissions committee of the local school, school team, partners (CLSC and CJM) and parents Verification of the responsibilities of the parties with the school principal Rpit-Transit begins with: o o o o Home meetings between the student and a community worker Objectives for the first two weeks: Time out and comprehensive assessment of the students academic and behavioral competencies Proposed alternative behavior Coaching by the community worker

VI.

When these objectives have been achieved, the student is gradually reintegrated within the regular class (8 to 12 weeks). At first, the student has a class resource and is then gradually weaned off this assistance until he/she can manage with only the assistance of the school team. Follow-up with the school of origin

VII.

This factsheet was taken from the following website: http://rire.ctreq.qc.ca/.

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9) Activities/Actions:
Component 1: Temporary withdrawal The student is taken out of the local school and away from the conflictual situation (for at least two weeks) while remaining enrolled in the school, which remains fully responsible for the student. o o The student works independently on the assignments given by his/her regular teacher. The special educator, remedial teacher and psychoeducator help the student do the assignments, teach the student certain notions, and help him/her develop social skills, self-control and self-esteem. Feedback and positive reinforcement are used. The focus is on basic attitudes to enable the student to function within a school environment.

o o

Component 2: Gradual reintegration within the regular class (6 to 10 weeks) in keeping with the students capacities o The return process occurs progressively and the student is assisted by a resource until he/she is fully reintegrated, at which time the student is re-instated as a regular student. Parents commit to short-term work with a CLSC resource or Centres jeunesse (CJ) educator as part of a home-based service. The parents attempt mainly to improve their parenting skills and their relationship with the school, their children, or both (depending on the situation).

Component 3: Active participation of the parents o o

10. Resources Required:

Human resources: o o o o Coordinator/program leader Teacher/remedial teacher School/family/community worker Special educator (if required)

11) Roles of the Participants:

Regular teacher, remedial teacher or psychoeducator: o o o o o o o o o help the student with school assignments; teach the student certain notions; help the student develop social skills, self-control and self-esteem; focus on positive reinforcement; mentor and monitor the student in-class until he/she is fully reintegrated. ensures supervision of the student; ensures that the student acquires certifiable knowledge throughout the program; stays in touch with the student; provides the student with daily assignments;

Regular teacher:

This factsheet was taken from the following website: http://rire.ctreq.qc.ca/.

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agrees to re-integrate the student when program workers feel sufficient progress has been made. agrees to re-integrate the student when program workers feel sufficient progress has been made. offers support to the teachers who need it (post-program weekly follow-up); verifies the relevance of interventions and temporarily removes the student from class; works with the teacher, parents and student simultaneously; ensures the students progressive re-integration; offers consultations to help the school principal or workers pinpoint the students needs; determines the objectives and intervention methods best suited to the student and suggests courses of action. participate actively in the program; commit to short-term work with a CLSC resource or Centres jeunesse (CJ) educator as part of a home-based service; attempt mainly to improve their parenting skills and their relationship with the school, their children, or both (depending on the situation).

School principal: o

Program Coordinator: o o o o o o

Parents: o o o

12) Scientific Basis or Validity:

University collaboration: In 1999-2000, first collaborative project themed on partnership (Institut de recherche pour le dveloppement social des jeunes, IRDS) A five-year research and evaluation program was conducted to analyze the impact of the program on behavior modification and short- and long-term effects (An nie Brub, Universit du Qubec Montral, 1997-2002). Here are a few of the results of this study: o Two weeks after returning to class, the children had fewer behavioral problems, displayed more typical behavior, and were more satisfied with school and with their life in general (Brub, Turbide, Dubois and Boucher, 2000). Parents had better attitudes towards the school after participating in the program. Post-program, they considered that the school environment met their childs needs well or very well and that it equipped their child to succeed in life. Teachers responses in the questionnaires given indicate that the students behaviors had continually improved since their participation in the program. The changes observed were consistent over time (one year later).

o o

Recent research: Evaluation of Rpit-Transit/Commission scolaire Marie-Victorin and Commission scolaire des Grandes Seigneuries (Universit du Qubec Montral, Franois Chagnon, Anne-Marie Tougas, Bogdan Balan, 2005-2007) The CSDM has had the program for 15 years, which was proposed and has been established in over 15 school boards across Qubec.

This factsheet was taken from the following website: http://rire.ctreq.qc.ca/.

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13) Program Material:

No specific material is required.

14) Additional Information:

The program was awarded the Prix de la psychoducation 2003 from the Ordre des conseillers et conseillres dorientation et des psychoducateurs et psychoducatrices du Qubec. The information contained in this factsheet was taken, in whole or in part, from: o o o o http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/DGFj/das/soutienetacc/ouvrirlesportes/pdf/atelier20 5-1.pdf; www.fppe.qc.ca/action_pro/doc/Facteurs_risque.ppt ; http://www.ctreq.qc.ca/docs/activites/colloques-du-ctreq/colloque2004/679_fr.pdf; http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/DGFj/das/soutienetacc/ouvrirlesportes/pdf/atelier20 5-2.pdf.

15) Contacts:
Robert Turbide, Psychoeducator Rpit-Conseil and Programme Rpit-Transit Coordinator 550, 53e Avenue Montral (Qubec) H1A 2T7 Tel.: (514) 352-6255 Email: robert-turbide@cspi.qc.ca

This factsheet was taken from the following website: http://rire.ctreq.qc.ca/.

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