| This study examined three years of change at Apple NPS, a nonpublic school for students with emotional and behavioral disorders, as it implemented a paradigm shift in policies and procedures. Apple successfully transformed itself from a school with serious concerns for safety, student achievement, staff morale, and staff turnover to a school that the stakeholders say is safer, relationship-based, highly focused on academic student success, and has high staff morale. Initially, Apple NPS sought to change its focus, which had primarily emphasized the treatment of student behaviors, to one in which academics, a sense of community, and respect would become the driving forces. Site administrators were concerned about the staff's mindset emphasizing behavioral control, which they felt caused rigorous academic to fall by the wayside. In examining Apple's journey of transformation, this study will explore the following research questions: (a) Why were changes needed at this nonpublic school for students with severe emotional and behavioral disorders? (b) What were the stakeholders' perspectives of the changes being implemented at this school? and (c) What are the outcomes of such changes for the staff, students, and the school?;The study participants included various school stakeholders such as teachers, behavioral specialists, parents, and administrators. The study is comprised of in-depth interviews with participants, on-site observations, and document and records research to develop collective stories of the shared experience of a variety of changes at Apple. This case study will attempt to present not only the rationale for change within the school as it has undergone various attempts at school reform, mandated by forces both outside of and from within the school, but also the human stories of those who have been affected by the change. |
