Understanding suspension and expulsion as a comprehensive educational process: The role of risk and resilience factors

1. Understanding suspension and expulsion as a comprehensive educational process: The role of risk and resilience factors Gale M. Morrison Gevirtz Graduate School of Education Acting Dean, Graduate Division University of California, Santa Barbara

2. School Disruption: What to do? • School personnel are faced with the complex challenge of meeting the diverse educational and social needs of all children, while maintaining safe and orderly campuses. • An increasingly prevalent response to students who may disrupt the learning environment is school suspension or expulsion. • Students with Special Needs are over-represented in the group of students disciplined

3. The Problem with Zero-Tolerance • Behavior has complex root causes. • Punishment may not fit the full context of crime. • Due process may be violated. • Actual actions may not be fairly applied (minority and special education overrepresentation). • Educational opportunities are taken away (loss of units, access to full curriculum). • Educational effectiveness is questionable.

4. Problematic consequences of a punitive disciplinary process • Interferes with the need to develop strong and trusting relationships with adults • Interferes with the need to form positive attitudes about fairness and justice • Intensifies troubling behaviors • Contributes to academic and eventual school failure

5. Discipline as a Process • School discipline is a process not merely an event • Variations before and after the “event” make generalizations about school expulsion hard to make • When a student commits a punishable offense, often not a surprise in the context of student’s developmental history • Many of these students appear to have difficulties with school and family adjustment • Also need to take into account the school and community context • E.g., changes in zero-tolerance attitudes connected to current events.

6. Views of School Discipline • Setting standards for student behavioral expectations • A process for preventing school violence and disruption • Due process for school removal

7. Discipline is a process where we can exit or maintain challenging students Prevention Tolerance levels Reaction to early behavioral transgressions Interventions offered Application of institutional sanctions Alternative education Support upon return

8. What are the risk and protective opportunities (possibilities) when dealing with challenging behavior?

9. RISK lack of graduated discipline strategy exclusive emphasis on academics PROTECTIVE POSSIBILITIES school-wide positive behavior support clear expectation and consistent follow-through staff agree and are trained student engagement in curriculum social skill development Prevention

10. RISK low teacher tolerance untrained yard “dooties” immediate principal referral low structure quick trigger PROTECTIVE POSSIBILITIES broad norms for behavior ways of corralling extra “energy” willingness to switch teachers parent communication community advocacy TOLERANCE

11. RISK Extreme reactions to small transgressions Punish academic nonperformance Out to principal’s office--Office sitting Out to janitor Out to special education PROTECTION Graduated process Caring, respectful responses Engaging every child in the learning process Behavior Plan Switch teachers Problem arises:How do school personnel react? Teacher/Classroom

12. “Out to Special Education” Discipline Service Efforts Comments 1st 2 SST’s Bilingual Educ. 43 absences in K. 2nd In-school suspension 2 SST’s IEP--SLD-RSP Trouble reading Temper at home 14 absences 3rd Office referrals Continue Special Educ. Not completing homework 4th Office referrals Continue Special Educ. 5th Office referrals 3 day suspension Continue Special Educ. Start after-school program for “at-risk” Trouble with behavior and attention Where’s the behavior plan?? Student/Service Trajectory

13. yr1 yr2 yr3 Pop 1116 1234 1327 #susp 495 433 374

14. When suspensions go down? • When suspensions go up?

15. Contrast of Principal Styles and Suspension Rates

16. Suspension Metrics • Incidents vs. Students • Repeat Offenders • Small % account for many offenses • Misbehavior widespread? • Types of offenses? • Seriousness • Local Practice • Use of categories – general disruption + • Total #, # days suspended

17. System changes • Change in administration • Change in student population • Change in discipline practices

18. RISK Knee-jerk application of institutional consequences No graduated response Treatment perceived as disrespectful PROTECTION Use discretion within the process Think big/call in the troops Meds System of positive behavioral support Caring, respectful, problem-solving response Problem arises:How do school personnel react? Principal/School

19. Discipline Service Efforts Comments 1st Office referrals Learned to read, was a pleasure in class 2nd Office referrals 1SST Motivation questioned Step-dad situation 3rd Office referrals 1 SST Dental services Summer school Self-control Mom locks in closet for discipline 4th Office referrals 2 SST’s--ADHD? Dental services Summer school Speech services Follower Dropped from after-school program 5th Office referrals 3 day suspension 1 SST, IEP, speech, no discrepancy Get mentor Trouble with behavior and attention Has cousins in gangs “Triage Student/Service Trajectory

20. RISK Hot button issues—vulgarity, sexual harassment, bullying Entry of academic non-production as an offense PROTECTION Schoolwide conversation and agreement on norms of behavior Extent to which school can hold to these agreements under public pressure What are the offenses?

21. RISK No advocate for student Suspension does not work Expulsion may lead to musical schools Reintegration is done without support Perception of fairness damaged PROTECTION In-school suspension with a curriculum, a purpose Alternative schooling options—with a curriculum, a purpose Change in school may allow for a clean slate Change in school may allow for change in peer group Opportunity to re-engage parents and students What official disciplinary option is applied?Who benefits from the application of this action?

22. RISK exclusion sans curriculum PROTECTIVE POSSIBILITIES substantive curriculum numerous options Alternative Education

23. Lesson’s Learned at Suspension School Put kid essay here

24. RISK No transition support plan PROTECTIVE POSSIBILITIES Individualized support and monitoring Return to Mainstream

25. Intervention Wisdom? • Discuss understandings/norms for “misbehavior” • Discuss appropriate consequences • Do Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support • Standardize data collection

26. Intervention Wisdom • Does suspension work? • Why suspend? • Unintended consequences of suspension • What are the understandings that arise from suspension? • Alternatives?

27. Intervention Wisdom • Target • Early academic success • Peer cultures that reinforce academic effort • Talk about goals, future, what it will take • Supervision at home

28. Recommendations: Zero-Tolerance • 1. Replace zero tolerance policies with a reasoned and appropriate approach to school discipline. • 2. Support and implement comprehensive prevention programs to enhance the protective nature of schools. • 3. Develop alternative discipline strategies should to replace school expulsion— Offer educational options when expulsion be necessary.

29. Recommendations: Zero-Tolerance • 4. Develop clear policies and procedures for school expulsion and support the accuracy of reporting procedures. • 5. Encourage and expand the research interest in expulsion practices and its impacts. • 6. Adopt Zero-Reject

30. School Discipline…a kinder, gentler approach? “A meaningful approach to school discipline is one that • treats students and their families with respect throughout the process, • seeks to learn from students and to nurture their learning and growth as human beings, and • that find ways to bring students more deeply into the school community” (Civil Rights Project Report, p. 15).