Recognizing the causes of certain behaviors and establishing therapeutic relationships with students has helped Elgin School District U-46 keep students and staff safer.

“[CPI training] is a way to build a relationship and help the person de-escalate in a way that is really humanistic and supportive,” says Marie McKee, a licensed clinical social worker and certified school social worker. “The process teaches you [how] to approach a hostile situation.”

Since 2008, 1,322 teachers and staff throughout U-46 have seen fewer suspensions and expulsions, as well as a marked decrease in the number of student-on-staff assaults. Read more about CPI training in “U-46 Officials Credit Crisis Prevention Training for Decrease in Fights.”