Three talking points:
1. “When schools focus solely on at-risk behaviors exhibited by students, they tend to work reactively rather than proactivity.” This makes me think of punishments for poor behavior or lower grades. For example, teachers or parents reacting to something undesirable after it occurs rather that supporting and building up the student so they would be less likely to struggle.
2. The Search Institute’s research revealed that the greater amount of assets leads to less risky behaviors. I found it interesting that there was a list of 40 assets which could be categorized onto internal and external. A few examples of internal assets listed are: reading for pleasure, responsibility, planning and decision making, and self esteem. Some external assets are: family support, safety, adult role models, positive peer influences, and youth programs. I included the link below.
3. I thought it was sad that research indicated that sixth graders only had 22 of the 40 assets and decreases as they age. It showed the greatest drop around junior high school years. This brought to mind my son’s school experience, He was in the public school system for his entire career. When he first started out, he loved attending. He did very well and was described by his teachers as a model student. Right around fifth and sixth grade, his attitude towards school began to change. He didn’t like going as much and his performance began to decline. He received a wider range of grades and didn’t seem to care about them. He also started complaining about his teachers. When he entered junior high, he continued to struggle with his grades, began joking and clowning around in many of his classes, not completing his work, and did not like many of the teachers. High school was the same. I wonder how different his experience would have been and how it would have impacted his future had he experienced more of an asset building model.
Argument Statement:
Renkly and Bertolini argue that schools would work much better if they placed less attention on what students were doing wrong and more emphasis on their positive attributes. Providing a supportive learning environment would result in better behavior and improved learning outcomes.
Connections:
When reading this text, I thought about the previous reading, The Broken Model and how students’ were graded and filtered out based on test scores rather than true learning and understanding of the material. They were labeled and placed into categories based on scores which prevented some of reaching their full potential and success.
Links:
What is Assets-Based Teaching and How Does It Enable Equity Practices in College Classrooms?
Using the lens of the Search Institute’s “40 Developmental Assets” to support student outcomes
40 Developmental Assets
https://www.greatkidsallencounty.org/resources-40-developmental-assets
Hi Heather. I can agree that punishments for poor behavior are not the way to go. This can discourage them, we need to be there for our students in a more positive manner. I found the assets you listed very enlightening, I was thinking that some external assets not everyone will have. We need to make sure we are there for our students if there is no support or positive role models at home. You mentioned the broken model being based more on scores. As we have talked about in class and other blogs, scores are not a true source for full potential. As educators, we need to realize that every student is an individual.
ReplyDeleteHi Heather, I appreciate your comment regarding punishments for students with lower grades, as well as your personal insight that your son may have done better in school once he reached Middle School age, and that he no longer liked school as much, including struggling with grades, if he experienced more of an asset based model in Middle School and High School. My oldest son also experienced this. He really enjoyed school up to Middle School or so, and loved playing baseball and other sports. In high school, he got called up from JV to play varsity baseball in the 10th grade. However, his Junior year he couldn't try out due to his grades, and the school rules, which actually led to him getting worse grades, as he couldn't play. Where I teach, they let students play on the basketball team even if they are failing all of their classes. I don't think that is the correct message to send, either.
ReplyDeleteHi Heather. Thanks for sharing the additional information regarding the 40 assets. I was also quite shocked in the decline of these assets as students reach middle school. While reading about the external assets, it reminded me of some of the before and after school programs that the kids at our school attend. Places like the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA have a huge impact on children that may not be receiving the support at home. Finally, I appreciate you sharing you concerns about your son education and how reading this article made you think through how the exposure to the asset model may have beneficial.
ReplyDeletehello Heather,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated your connection between asset orientation and your son’s school experience. The way you described the shift around fifth and sixth grade aligns closely with the research the authors cited about the decline in developmental assets during middle school years. That drop is not random. It often coincides with increased academic pressure, social comparison, and institutional tracking. Your reflection makes the research feel very real.
Your first talking point about reactive versus proactive systems stood out to me as well. When schools focus primarily on correcting behavior after it happens, they miss the opportunity to build conditions that prevent disengagement in the first place. This connects to our earlier discussions about deficit thinking. When students begin to struggle, the narrative often becomes about motivation or effort rather than examining whether the environment is affirming their strengths.
I also think your connection to The Broken Model is important. Labeling students early based on performance data can reinforce a deficit story that becomes self-fulfilling. If a student internalizes that narrative, it can shape identity and effort over time. An asset-based approach would require leaders to interrupt that pattern intentionally.
Your post raises a powerful question: how many students change not because they lack ability, but because the system gradually stops seeing them as capable? That question feels central to this reading.
Hi Heather,
ReplyDeleteI too was saddened by the statistics but could easily understand how the number of assests a child has might drop during middle school years. It's such a challenging time of transition. The Search Institute first introduced the Developmental Assets Framework in 1990 and the numbers have remained consistent throughout the years with regard to that decline. The data clearly shows the need for change to an asset-based model so that we can acknowledge and build upon students' strengths. Thank you for sharing your son's story. I'm sure it was also very difficult for you as a parent.
Connecting this to your son't experience makes it feel so much more real... I see so many of us seeking to validate (or reject) the arguements that way. What would this look like for you as an educator?
ReplyDelete