School of Education NewsRelease

DRS. PURKEY, JUHNKE INTRODUCING INVITATIONAL EDUCATION
TO WASHINGTON, D.C., SCHOOLS THROUGH NEW FEDERAL GRANT
 

Dr. Juhnke

Dr. Purkey

GREENSBORO---Dr. William W. Purkey will be introducing his philosophy of invitational education and his “Schools Without Violence” approach to education into the District of Columbia Public Schools this year through a grant from the federal government.

Purkey and colleague Dr. Gerald Juhnke will conduct a series of workshops and training sessions in July and August for the system, which is one of the nation’s largest with 146 schools, almost 69,000 students and approximately 12,000 teachers. Scheduled activities include a two-day summer institute for selected teachers in the District on July 19-20, training for 800 school administrators on Aug. 15, and training on Aug. 23 for all new teachers joining the school system.

Two other one-day programs are scheduled: a professional development institute for teachers on “Creating Safe Schools through Invitational Education,” and a program on “Creating Safe Schools through Invitational Helping” with school system mental health facilitators.

Purkey and Juhnke received a $250,000 grant for the training last fall. In the future, six pilot schools in the District will be selected, with future training sessions and visits to take place during the 2001-2002 year. Both Purkey and Juhnke are faculty members in the Department of Counseling and Educational Development in the School of Education at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

The invitational school model is a fresh approach to the teaching-learning process that is based on trust, respect, intentionality and optimism, said Purkey. Hundreds of schools across America have adopted his methods as their model for school improvement. Purkey is credited with being its leading spokesman, as well as a co-founder. It is designed to create a positive, nurturing atmosphere in school settings where students' self-efficacy is enhanced and classroom success is fostered. A professional organization, the International Alliance for Invitation Education, meets annually at locations around the country.

The approach focuses on bringing about positive changes in the total school environment, which he calls the "five P's," or the people, places, policies, programs and processes in schools. All five aspects, he said, are interconnected and have to work in concert to foster student success.

"Much of what we've learned about school policies nationwide is that they are mostly based on punitive measures,” said Purkey. ”We believe that schools can be turned into positive, nurturing settings that foster student achievement and school safety. We want students to think about the good things that will happen when they come to school."

Research shows that schools employing the method have successfully reduced dropout rates, with two main characteristics emerging. The first is that teachers are committed to keeping students in school and to helping them succeed. The second is that students in the schools report that they feel wanted there, they are contributing members of classes and they are missed when absent.

Purkey is co-author of  "The Inviting School Treasury,” "Invitational Teaching, Learning and Living,” “What Students Say to Themselves: Internal Dialogue and School Success” and several other books on the subject. He received the 1998 Distinguished Mentor Award from the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision A dynamic and entertaining lecturer, he has received teaching awards from UNCG and from the UNC system. Purkey received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Virginia.

Juhnke is author of the book “Schools Without Violence.” He is president of the Association for Assessment Counseling. He is a licensed professional counselor and a N.C.-certified clinical addictions specialist who holds both the national counseling credential and the master addictions counselor credential. He is a past president of the N.C. Association for Marriage and Family Counseling and the N.C. Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development. He holds the Doctor of Education degree from Western Michigan University.

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