Kids Do Well If They Can

“What if we stopped asking, ‘Why won’t this kid behave?’ and started asking, ‘What is this kid trying to tell us?’”

This question sits at the heart of the work of Ross Greene and his Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model. It represents a fundamental shift in how we understand student behavior. Instead of seeing behavior as defiance to be punished, it invites us to see it as communication to be understood.

Across schools and communities, there is growing recognition that traditional discipline systems are not working for many students. Suspensions, referrals, and exclusionary practices often repeat the same cycle without addressing the underlying challenges students face. If consequences alone worked, the same students would not keep receiving them.

It is time to consider a different path, one grounded in collaboration, curiosity, and proactive problem solving.

For decades, school discipline has relied on consequences as the primary response to student behavior. The outcomes tell a different story.

Students with disabilities and students of color are disproportionately impacted by exclusionary discipline practices. Many lose valuable learning time and their sense of belonging. Educators are also feeling the strain as they navigate increasing behavioral needs within systems that often leave little room for meaningful intervention.

As Greene writes in The Kids Who Aren’t Okay, students with concerning behaviors have often experienced more consequences than most adults ever will. The issue is not a lack of discipline. It is a lack of solutions that address what is actually driving behavior.

At the core of CPS is a simple but powerful idea. Kids do well if they can.

Not if they want to.
Not if they try harder.
If they can.

This shift moves us away from blaming students and toward understanding them. When a child struggles, the focus becomes clear:

• What skills are they missing?
• What is getting in their way?
• How can we solve this together?

Instead of designing interventions for students, CPS invites adults to work with them. This transforms students from subjects of discipline into partners in problem solving.

Every challenging behavior reflects an unmet need or an unsolved problem. When we treat behavior as communication, our responses begin to change.

We move from reactive responses to proactive ones. We replace punishment with curiosity. We shift from top-down decision making to collaboration.

Greene emphasizes that it is impossible to meet students where they are without understanding their perspective. The best source of that insight is the student.

Too often, adult-designed solutions fail because they leave out the most important voice. CPS corrects this by placing student input at the center.

A defining feature of CPS is its focus on solving problems before they escalate.

Rather than waiting for behavior to occur and then responding with consequences, CPS encourages educators and families to identify patterns, anticipate challenges, and address them early. This reduces crises, strengthens relationships, and creates more stable learning environments.

Research supports this approach. Schools implementing CPS have seen meaningful reductions in discipline referrals and suspensions along with improved relationships between students and educators. These outcomes come from addressing root causes rather than enforcing stricter discipline.

This work is not about asking educators to do more.

Teachers are already balancing increasing demands, limited resources, and complex student needs. CPS recognizes that the issue is systemic. Many of the structures educators rely on were not designed for the realities they face today.

Real change requires rethinking those systems, not placing more responsibility on individuals.

By shifting how schools approach behavior, CPS can:

• Reduce time spent on discipline cycles
• Improve classroom relationships
• Increase teacher satisfaction
• Keep students engaged in learning

CPS is also an equity-centered approach.

When discipline systems disproportionately impact certain groups of students, it signals deeper issues. By focusing on individual needs and collaborative problem solving, CPS helps create more inclusive environments where every student receives support, not just those with formal diagnoses.

Every child deserves to be seen, heard, and understood.

The most important shift CPS offers is moving from doing things to students toward working with them.

This extends beyond the classroom. Families, educators, and school leaders all bring essential perspectives. Real change happens when those voices come together.

That is why shared experiences matter. When communities speak openly about what is working and what is not, they help build solutions grounded in real experience.

The challenges facing schools are real. The opportunity to rethink how we respond is just as real.

We can continue relying on systems that repeat the same outcomes, or we can ask better questions, listen more closely, and build approaches that meet the needs of students.

As Greene emphasizes, we must:

• Be responsive to what walks through the door
• Meet students where they are
• Solve problems collaboratively
• Act early
• Change the structures that make this work difficult

Collaborative and Proactive Solutions is not a quick fix. It is a framework for meaningful, lasting change rooted in understanding, connection, and shared responsibility.

It starts with a simple belief:
Kids do well if they can.