What is PRAXIS?

PRAXIS is a self-contained program for students in Middle School or High School who have been found eligible and in need of services in the area of Emotionally or Behaviorally Disabled (E/BD).  It is considered Setting V, Private Separate Day School, or Setting VII, Private Residential, depending on student need.  School districts from a tri-state area or beyond have the opportunity to support students' behavior and academics by enrolling students within PRAXIS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRAXIS offers a variety of options to school districts, parents, and students.  If a student's behavior requires a more structured environment than is available within his/her home district, and IEP team may seek a more restrictive environment.  Students who have previously been identified as E/BD can be referred to PRAXIS as an alternative to being served within their own districts.  Students may be served under E/BD as a primary or a secondary disability from their referring school.  The Flexibility and variety of programming for students within the PRAXIS program offers a unique opportunity for IEP teams to manage emotional needs and change behaviors.  Depending on the individual needs of the student, programming is offered on a continuum from day student to full time residential.  Extended school year services are available when determined needed by IEP team.

An advisory committee composed of representatives from PRAXIS, the Pipestone Cooperative, and member districts, recommends policy and procedures for the program.

What can PRAXIS offer?

PRAXIS Offers:

Academic Instruction

Structured curriculum aligned with the Minnesota graduation standards Tutoring in basic skills if appropriate

Special Education Services

Individual education programs developed and implemented

Structured Environment

Small classrooms with one teacher and one classroom aide for every 8 students Additional space for problem resolution, group work, or one-on-one counseling

Daily Group Meetings

Group discussion and problem-solving system dealing with daily life issues

Independent Living Skills

Individualized transition skill instruction, including the areas of jobs and job training, education, home and daily living, recreation and leisure, and community

Psychological Services

School psychological services and mental health treatment provided by contracting for services

Anger Management

Anger management classes provided on-site daily

Health Services

School nursing services available

Recreation Therapy

Activities to increase teamwork, group functioning, and fitness

Social Skills Training

Formalized curriculum supplemented by strategically optimizing teachable moments meant to build students up rather than tear them down

Small Staff-to-Student Ratio

What are the expectations for students?

Students are expected to work with the EBD teacher and other staff to accomplish the goals in their IEPs.

PRAXIS implements the Minnesota graduation rule, including basic and high standards.  Students are expected to actively participate in learning in order to continue their progress toward graduation by passing the basic standards test and by completing the performance assessments for the high standards.

Students are expected to dress in clean, suitable, non-provocative clothing.  Shirts with inappropriate messages, military or camouflage attire, trench coats, bandannas, caps, and gang colors and symbols are not allowed.  Pants must be worn above the hip with a belt (no chains).  Coats, backpacks, and other such items are to be left outside the classroom and are considered to property of the placing district and the PRAXIS program while students are at PRAXIS.

Students are expected to attend regularly and to arrive on time.  PRAXIS should be notified if the student will not be attending and be given a the reason for absence.  Excused absences will be granted for illness, family emergency, medical appointments, and court appearances.  PRAXIS will notify districts if students are tardy or absent.

PRAXIS is a smoke- free facility.  Students may not bring tobacco products, alcohol, or drugs to school.  If this rule is violated, PRAXIS will work in conjunction with the student's placing district to follow and enforce the Minnesota Pupil Fair Dismissal Act and the placing district's Discipline policy.  If the behavior of the student is a danger to his/her own health or safety or that of other students, this same procedure will be followed.

Students are not allowed to bring weapons to school.

Verbal or physical disrespect or aggression, and harassing, intimidating, or threatening behavior are not allowed.

Students are encouraged to participate in their team meetings.

IEP/IIIP team meetings will be called should a student not be meeting expectations.

Students may participate in extracurricular activities in their home districts if they wish and if they are eligible under Minnesota State High School League rules.  The students or PRAXIS can contact the district for activities offerings and schedules if desired.

Attendance:

Research indicates that regular school attendance is a significant and vital component of a student's  education.  Regular attendance is correlated to successful academic achievement.  Consistent school attendance is on means by which a student develops responsibility and self-discipline.  For these reasons, student absences from school should be limited to those instances in which absence is genuinely unavoidable.  Each student, his or her parent or guardian, and the school, share and obligation to encourage and ensure the student's continuous school attendance.

It is the student's right to be in school.  It is also the student's responsibility to attend every day that school is in session.  It is the responsibility of the student's parent or guardian to ensure the student is attending school, to inform the school in the event of a student absence, and to work cooperatively with the school and the student to solve any attendance problems that may arise.  It is the teacher's responsibility to take daily attendance and to maintain accurate attendance records.  It is also the teacher's responsibility to provide the student who is absent with any missed assignments upon request.

PRAXIS will notify the student's resident district when students are absent.

PRAXIS will notify the student's social worker and probation officer if the student is absent two or more consecutive days.

If a student is absent PRAXIS must be notified of the absence by the parent, guardian, or social worker.  Pre-excused absences are permitted for certain occasions, such as out-of- town medical appointments.  The student should bring written permission from his/her parents in advance of the planned absence.

Excused Absences: The following reasons shall be sufficient to constitute excused absences:

Consequences of excused absences: Students whose absences are excused are required to make up all assignments missed or to complete alternative assignments as deemed appropriate by the classroom teacher.  Work missed because of absence must be made up within 2 days from the date of the student's return to school.  Any work not completed within this period shall result in no credit for the missed assignment.  However, the classroom teacher my extend the time allowed for completion of make-up work in the case of an extended illness or other extenuating circumstance.

Excessive Absences: Excessive absences will be accumulated by quarter.  If a student has 5 absences from a class in one quarter or 10 in a semester they may be denied credit for that class for that quarter or semester.  PRAXIS will provide a letter to the student's parent or guardian and to the student's resident district when it has been determined that the student is absent.  However, the responsibility for keeping track of absences lies with the student. Absences verified by a medical professional, long-term illness, chronic illness, funerals, and family trips pre-approved by PRAXIS will be exceptions to the policy.

Unexcused Absences: the following are examples of absences which will not be excused:

Absences resulting from official suspension will be handled in accordance with the Pupil Fair Dismissal Act. Minn. Stat.  SS 121A.10 - 121A.56.  Days during which a student is suspended from school shall not be counted in a student's total cumulated unexcused absences.  In cases of recurring unexcused absences, PRAXIS may also request the county attorney to file a petition with the juvenile court, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes.

Behavior Management

All students are treated as individuals within the PRAXIS program.  The goal is to provide positive educational opportunities for students.  With this in mind, the staff strives to use self-esteem-enhancing interventions and deal with students in a non-threatening and non-punitive manner.

Interventions for students are on a continuum, from the least restrictive to more intrusive interventions.  Within the classroom, teachers use a variety of interventions to redirect students from misbehavior and toward more positive behavior.  The relationship between students and adults within the school environment can, in itself, be a powerful tool for generating positive decision-making in students who would otherwise misbehave.  Eye contact, nurturing comments, comforting and consoling actions, reminders, private prearranged "codes" between the student and the adult, proximity, and reinforcement of the desired behavior are utilized daily and with all students.

Students also use contracts as a way of taking responsibility for their own behavioral success by proposing to change a behavior over a period of time in exchange for earning a desired item or activity.  Participation in designing the contract, choosing an appropriate behavior, and establishing the reward can be a strong tool for some students.  Interventions for students can be stated specifically within their plan.

Should in-class interventions fail to turn a student towards a better choice, a more restrictive intervention may be used.  Examples include the student being asked to leave the classroom area and use alternate space while in problem resolution or the loss of a privilege.  If these are unsuccessful, and the student continues to disrupt the learning environment or engage in noncompliant or abusive behavior, he/she may be escorted to a more private space and allowed to calm down or talk with an adult.  Sometimes students may place themselves or other in an unsafe situation.  Should this emergency occur, a conditional behavioral intervention may be utilized.  For all students enrolled in the PRAXIS program, a discussion of the possibility of the use of conditional procedures is discussed.  Conditional interventions are the use of manual or mechanical restraint, with holding of food or water up to 30 minutes, and time out for seclusion.

All staff at PRAXIS are trained in de-escalation techniques and in safe manual restraint procedures through Crisis Prevention/Intervention training.  Conditional procedures such as manual restraint are used only to protect the physical or emotional safety of the student or other persons or to prevent the destruction of school property unless the procedure is agreed upon as an IEP procedure.

Discipline will be administered to create a learning experience for the student and will be equivalent to the seriousness of the misbehavior.  Discipline will never be administered in a way that would degrade or humiliate the student.

Physical restraint is used only when the student is acting out in a manner that is assaultive, injurious, or dangerous to the student, other students, staff, or property.  Only properly trained staff will use physical restraint.  PRAXIS staff are trained in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, which is a safe, non-harmful behavior management system designed to help PRAXIS staff provide the best possible care and welfare of assaultive, disruptive, and out-of-control persons even during the most violent moment.  The techniques learned will give PRAXIS staff the confidence to handle any violent episode with minimal anxiety and maximum security.  The training will help PRAXIS staff prevent violence and safely intervene when disruptive behavior has gone to far.  Most importantly, it won't damage the professional bond that the PRAXIS staff worked so hard to establish with the students in their charge.

If a student has displayed verbal and/or physical disrespect or threatening or aggressive behaviors that threaten the safety of himself/herself or others or disrupts the learning environment, and this behavior is not able to be successfully intervened, he/she may be place in in-school suspension or suspended out of school.  The Minnesota Pupil Fair Dismissal Act rules will be followed.  If the student is placed in in-school suspension, he/she will continue to be provided with the materials and curriculum to complete work and will be supervised.  If PRAXIS determines out-of-school suspension is warranted, the principal of the student's resident district will be contacted immediately to make this decision.  If the student is not able to remain at PRAXIS for the full school day, transportation arrangements will be made with the parent or the student's regular transportation.  The student and parents will be informed of the reason for the out-of-school suspension and the meting will be held with the student and parents prior to the student's re-entry.

Is Timeout Ever Used at PRAXIS?

Time out for seclusion in a specifically designed timeout room is not used at the PRAXIS day program. Teachers may use a "time away" intervention if a student exhibits behavior which is aggressive toward a teacher or other students or is in another way disruptive and interferes with the group's progress.

Time out for seclusion is available as an alternative in the current PRAXIS residential setting in Magnolia, and that facility does contain a legal time out room.

Time-out procedures that seclude a student in a specifically designated isolation room or similar space must include specific criteria for returning the pupil to the routine activities and regular education environment, provision for the pupil to be continuously monitored by trained staff, adequate access to drinking water and to a bathroom for a time out that exceeds 15 minutes, and documentation of the of the length of time spent in each time out procedure, and the number of occurrences per day.

[M.R. 3525. 2900 Subp. 5.D. (1-5)]