For six years and counting, District 202′s Catalyst program has helped keep students in school and on a successful track, even after making a bad decision.

The program was instituted six years ago at Plainfield South High School. It now operates at each of the four district high schools, guided by the belief that one bad decision should not necessarily lead a child down a very difficult road.

Catalyst is an intensive, three-day program specifically designed to get students back into their regular school environment as soon as possible, while offering them help and support.

High school students are assigned to the Catalyst program for various infractions like first time drug or alcohol offenses, fighting or gross misconduct.

The students are met at the doors to the school. The program encompasses their whole school day, including lunch. The students receive social work support, anger management lessons, counseling for goals and aspirations and academic support.

If the students are not involved in any extracurricular programs staff also encourage them to participate in an activity of interest. This is an important step since studies have shown that students who are involved in school tend to make better choices, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Sharon Gronemeyer said.

After completing the Catalyst program, students attend weekly follow-up meetings for six weeks.

Before Catalyst, students were suspended from school for 10 days. Missing 10 days of school often led to academic ramifications, Gronemeyer said.

“High school students often think nothing bad is going to happen to them,” Gronemeyer said. “The Catalyst program deals with the adolescent brain in helping students to learn a more mature way of dealing with issues, and keeps them on track and successful.”

The program was designed for the adolescent who makes the wrong choice and wants to get back on track. It is not for students who are struggling emotionally.

About 100 students per high school, per year, are assigned to the Catalyst program. Each program is run by a social worker and an assistant. Teachers also help in academic areas.

Once students are placed in the Catalyst program, they cannot have another major incident the rest of their high school career.

“Data on repeat offenders has been in the single digits for all of the programs,” Gronemeyer said.

The program has benefitted the district financially too. The district receives state funding for each day a student attends school. If 100 students at each of the district’s four high schools were out of school for 10 days each, the district would lose money for 4,000 days of attendance.

Keeping students in school and offering academic support also helps the district’s chances of meeting state learning standards.

Students and their parents are asked on an exit survey if they feel Catalyst was more beneficial than a traditional external suspension. The answer is almost always positive.

“Catalyst is beneficial because it gives students the opportunity to think about the problem, the consequences, and how it could have been prevented,” one parent wrote.

“The best part of the program is it teaches how to avoid future problems instead of just punishing kids. It is important for kids to learn from their mistakes, especially at this age.”

A student who completed the program said, “Catalyst is beneficial because they talk to you about what you did wrong, explain why it was wrong and help you stay on schedule with your school work.”

Another student wrote, “Catalyst is better, because in a traditional external suspension, nothing will change.”

The Catalyst program is unique to District 202. Over the last six years many districts have come to look at the program, intent on creating their own.

“The difference Catalyst has made with kids in remarkable,” Gronemeyer said. “Through peer mediation, we have had students who were in the program because of a fight, walk out as friends.”
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