9486 in the collection
Schools Rethink Discipline Plans
Ohanian Comment: It's disheartening that co-called new and innovative discipline policy would rest on giving out candy to kids who toe the line.
Ames, Ia. - Pink detention slips have gone the way of inkwells and quill pens in several Iowa schools as they seek discipline measures that will work on today's students.
The changes are inspired by doubt that punishments of yesterday - detentions, suspensions or expulsions - have the desired effect.
Among the changes in Iowa schools:
* Southeast Polk High School will spend up to $80,000 this year to rent office space and hire private employees to work with students who otherwise would take five days off for out-of-school suspensions. The arrangement began last week.
"What we're trying to get away from is, some students learn to play the system," said Assistant Principal Stephen Miller. "If they need some days off, they get suspended."
* Alternative schools in Des Moines and Grimes got a combined $96,000 in federal money to put suspended and expelled students to work instead of sending them home. Schools in Sioux City and Davenport are expected to start similar community service programs. The unpaid duties range from walking dogs at the local animal shelter to fetching parts at auto repair shops.
"Students have an opportunity to give back to their community as opposed to taking away from it," said Robin Galloway, who will track the program's progress for Iowa State University's Research Institute for Studies in Education.
* At Ames High School, students who skip more than three times a semester could be dropped from their classes. School officials can take away open-campus privileges during the lunch hour, which Principal Michael McGrory said is a bigger deal to students than sitting in detention.
For more serious offenses, community service has replaced suspensions. Vandals, for example, could find themselves scrubbing school toilets.
Some students, though, are testing the limits. About 50 students marched out the school doors after McGrory refused to cancel classes on a snowy day last month. The truants got unexcused absences. Their parents got telephone calls.
"If you want to cut class once and it's not a test day or something, you could," said Ryan Guffy, 18, a senior. "It takes the leverage away from the teachers, which is nice, actually."
McGrory acknowledges that students have tried to test the new system, but he said school officials would work out the bugs when the school year ends.
"I think there's the misperception that there's no consequence," McGrory said. "I think to some degree there's more consequence. It's just a different type."
What works?
Educators say suspensions alienate students into believing they're outcasts - so they act accordingly.
"Research doesn't show that's very effective in changing behaviors," said Linda Miller, a consultant for the Iowa Department of Education. "What we're trying to do is change people's mind-sets away from a mode of punishment to a more proactive approach."
At Jefferson-Scranton High School, officials adjust the schedules of students who are consistently late in the mornings so they start their day later. Students whose behavior problems flare up in the afternoon sometimes are allowed to leave school earlier. Students who skip school, however, must make up each hour they missed after school.
"We're approaching discipline more from the standpoint of the positive - recognizing and rewarding good things and downplaying the bad things," said Principal Karen Younie.
Jefferson-Scranton High is one of eight Iowa schools involved in Positive Behavior Supports, a program that aims to reduce discipline problems in part by rewarding good behavior. The schools get $5,000 in state money and training from University of Oregon researchers who came up with the idea.
Candy, pencils, money
In elementary schools, teachers show students proper behavior for the lunchroom, hallways, bathrooms and other areas. Students receive candy or pencils for good deeds, such as opening doors for other students.
For Jefferson-Scranton students, the rewards could mean money for college.
Younie expects to start a small scholarship program next year that recognizes outstanding attendance, grades and behavior. Donations could come from parents, social service organizations and a school foundation, she said. The money would go into an endowment during a student's freshman year and build interest until graduation.
Officials say it's too early to tell whether the state program works. But Prescott Early Childhood Center in Dubuque reported a 20 percent drop in the number of students who ended up in the principal's office compared with last year.
Neely Becker's 4-year-old son regularly got kicked out of his Prescott preschool class last fall for threatening to throw things at his teacher. Now, the boy collects prizes for good behavior.
"He barely ever has to leave the classroom, and he's not as disruptive as he was," Becker said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Positive behavior program
WHAT: A national program being tested in some Iowa schools, with a focus on teaching students what kind of behavior is expected in school. The program also rewards good behavior with small prizes. Schools receive $5,000 over three years from the Iowa Department of Education, which is tracking the program's effectiveness.
WEB SITE: For more information about the program, go to
www.pbis.org
SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING: Douds Elementary, Van Buren school district; Anita Junior/Senior High School; Central City schools; Jefferson-Scranton High School; South O'Brien Middle School; Iowa Valley Elementary; Harding Middle School, Des Moines; Prescott Early Childhood Center, Dubuque.
— Staci Hupp
Schools rethink discipline plans
Des Moines Register
2004-03-02
http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4780927/23682938.html
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
Pages: 380
[1] 2 3 4 5 6 Next >> Last >>
