Students today come to school from more diverse backgrounds, with less adult supervision, greater exposure to violence, greater influence from the media, and more susceptible to influence from peer groups. All of these factors have contributed to students experienceing a wider range of behaviors - both positive and negative.

Making good decisions to focus their behavior in positive areas such as school performance, avoiding trouble, and resisting negative peer pressure is very difficult for students today. When they fail to make good decisions, the academic and social performance of students suffers. Sometimes, results can be tragic, as in the case of school violence.

This interactive program is designed to teach students how to make decisions that will result in positive academic and social outcomes in school settings. This program utilizes the latest technology available to bring, virtually, the student into critical situations that require positive decision-making skills. The technology permits the student to be included in the situation, asks the student "What Would You Do?" and then allows them to experience the results of the decision immediately. After each decision is made and the outcomes played out, peers comment to the student on his or her choice. The peer feedback is critical to the success of this program. No other program available allows students to experience the results of their decision immediately and to receive peer feedback on the decision.

The program consists of 12 scenarios requiring decision-making skills. Each scenario represents situations that occur in school daily and represent threats to school safety. The scenarios were selected as a result of conducting focus groups with middle and high school age stdents. In addition, the language for the scenarios was developed by teachers, administrators, researchers, and students themselves.

Credits:

• Series Partially Funded by a GRANT from the Department of Justice
• Produced in Partnership with the United States Secret Service and the Leon County, FL School District