Does your student need triage?
Marco Island, Florida, June 12, 2019 School News
Triage - the process of determining the priority of the patient's treatment based on the severity of their condition with labels such as "Immediate," "Delayed" and "Minor."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention repors that 17 percent of high school students in 2017 said they thought seriously about attempting suicide. Females were twice as likely as males to report that they seriously considered suicide. Students in this state of mind need “Immediate” triage.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System [data tool]. Retrieved from https://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Default.aspx.
Wikipedia lists the following factors that may contribute to problems at school and at home.
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Eating disorders |
Drug abuse |
Divorce |
Trauma |
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Financial Problems |
Bullied |
Social rejection |
Anger |
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Guilt |
Disability |
Academic failure |
Grade retention |
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Loneliness |
Misunderstood |
Insecurities |
Mood swings |
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Loss of loved one |
Depression |
Bipolar disorder |
Other disorders |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_suicide_in_the_United_States
How can a parent/caregiver identify if their student needs triage? Follow the methods listed below. Observe, question your student, their teachers, their friends to see if a problem exists. Now break the problem into variables such behavior , chemical (drugs, nutrition, food), emotions and physical. Look at the parts of school like teachers, courses, friends, the atmosphere of the school, short term goals and long term goals.
What did you find - no problem, a “minor” problem, a “delayed” problem or an “immediate” problem. Face the green of minor problems day-by-day. The yellow of delayed problems require class changes, tutors, new activities, new after school activities. The red flag of immediate problems demands life changing decisions such as changing schools or being homeschooled. A student may go back to their school after a year or two of an alternative school or homeschool. Remember, the experimental nature of these choices require validation to see if your student achieves the target responses. Problems faced in sixth grade sometimes disappear by eighth grade. Problems faced in ninth grade may disappear by eleventh grade.Your student grows out of many problems in a safe, quiet, supportive, confidence building environment. A year at Marketplace Mission Learning Center can provide that environment.
Scientific Method
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Make an Observation.
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Identify Variables.
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Form a Question.
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Design an Experiment.
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Develop a Hypothesis.
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Conduct an Experiment.
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Observe and Measure Data..
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Analyze the Data.
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Draw a Conclusion.
Business Method
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Clarify the problem - What really is the problem?
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Break down the problem - What are the pieces of the problem?
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Set targets - Develop countermeasures by observing symptoms, gathering facts and analysis. How can we address the problem and identify our targets?
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Determine the root cause by asking: What? How much? By when?
5. Develop countermeasures
6. Implement countermeasures
7. Confirm results of countermeasures processes
8. Standardize the countermeasures processes to sustain the gain
Use containment, corrective and preventive action
Notes: Universal principle - “vital few and trivial many” and Pareto’s Principle or 80/20 Rule - 20 percent of something always are responsible for 80 percent of the results.
PDCA - Plan, Do, Check and Act