Positive Action

Positive Action (PA) is an integrated and comprehensive program that involves the entire school community: students, faculty, support staff, administrators, students' family members, and people who live in the community surrounding the school. The PA program is grounded in a broad theory of self-concept positing that people determine their self-concepts by what they do; that actions, more than thoughts or feelings, determine self-concept; and that making positive and healthy behavioral choices results in feelings of self-worth. PA teaches children which actions are positive, that they feel good when they perform positive actions, and that they then have more positive thoughts and future actions. By explicitly linking thoughts, feelings, and actions, the program is believed to enhance the development and integration of affective and cognitive brain functions.

The goal of this program is to improve academic success, behavior, and character development.

Multiple studies have consistently found PA effective for improving achievement scores, attendance, and self-concept and for reducing drug use, violence, and other problem behaviors. Results were often better in more disadvantaged schools.

Multiple studies have consistently found PA effective for improving achievement scores, attendance, and self-concept and for reducing drug use, violence, and other problem behaviors. Results were often better in more disadvantaged schools. Specifically, the Flay and Allred (2003) study found that participation in PA improved student behavior, school involvement, and academic achievement at all three levels of schools (elementary, middle, and high), with the results showing a clear dose-response relationship.

Compared with students in matched-control schools, students in elementary schools with PA:

- Scored an average of 45% better on the Florida Reading Test
- Obtained 4.5% better on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
- Had 68% fewer violence incidents per 100 students
- Had 33.5% fewer out-of-school suspensions
- Had 12.7% fewer students absent for 21 or more days

Middle schools with three different levels of students from PA elementary schools (<60%, 60-79%, and 80-100%) were compared. Compared with low-PA middle schools, medium-PA, and high-PA middle schools, respectively:

- Scored 10.8% and 16.5% better on reading
- Scored 11.4% and 20.6% better on math
- Reported 31-37% and 52-75% fewer incidents of problem behaviors (e.g. drug use, violence, property crime, disrespect)

High schools with three different levels of students from PA elementary schools (0-15%, 16-26%, and 27-50%) were also compared. Compared with low-PA high schools, medium-PA, and high-PA high schools, respectively,

- Scored 2-6% and 9-15% better on five different standardized achievement tests
- Reported 26-50% and 49-63% fewer problem behaviors (e.g. substance use, violence, sexual behavior, falsifying records)
- Had 8% and 12% less truancy
- Had 11% and 37% lower dropout rates
- Had 31% and 38% more graduates continuing their education