Even last year we might have suspended Cindy first and done the restorative work second. Before that we would have simply suspended her without ever asking what happened. Today Cindy answers my question.
She tells me that the boys had been joking with her and another girl, not inappropriately, exactly, but in a way that made her feel self-conscious. When the other girl left the table, the boys began whispering and laughing. I called the boys to my room to join us.
Cindy and I learned, through nonjudgmental questioning, that she did hear the word, but it was uttered in an entirely different context. The rude whispering had nothing to do with her at all. Yes, the joke was dumb, but the anger from Cindy was based on a self-conscious and fear-based misunderstanding. We were not done! But most are assigned in-school suspensions or counseling sessions, where they are assessed individually and given a plan according to their needs.
In addition, students get academic help and work on homework assignments. Trained, certified teachers and counselors lead the program. Even more promising, the out-of-school suspension rate for more serious offenses dropped by about half, depending on the school, she said.
Among her concerns are that African-American and Latino students are still suspended at disproportionately high rates, she said. Visalia Unified, in Tulare County, has also adopted a comprehensive program for in-school suspensions.
Visalia Unified, with nearly 28, students, has seen its defiance suspensions fall about 26 percentage points in recent years, from students in to in , the most recent year data is available.
Under the new protocol, students are taught better ways to handle anger and frustration, how to walk away from potential conflicts and other coping tools. Sending kids home is not solving the issue.
But across the state, programs vary widely. Many high schools still send students home for willful defiance, but others have either reduced their numbers significantly over the past few years or eliminated the practice entirely, according to statewide data. Some schools have in-school suspension programs, but they consist of students sitting in a classroom doing homework, without counseling, tutoring or behavior help.
Jenny Escobar, restorative justice coach at the California Conference for Equality and Justice , a nonprofit that runs conflict resolution programs in schools, said in-school suspensions with counseling and other services can be helpful. Teachers, too. She advises schools to institute meetings between teachers or counselors and small groups of students every other week to talk about problems the students may be facing, issues on campus or other topics.
The meetings can also focus on academics, celebrations, student interests — anything to build trusting relationships between students and adults at school, she said.
Losen, at UCLA, agreed. In a perfect world, he said, in-school suspensions would be minimal because student behavior issues would be addressed before they reach the suspension level. Too often teachers are left on their own. The ramifications are great and can end up costing taxpayers billions of dollars over the long term, he said. Students who miss a lot of class — due to discipline measures or other reasons — are more likely to drop out, which later on leads to lower incomes, greater reliance on social services and more physical health problems.
Make your donation today to our year end fundraising campaign by Dec. Click here to cancel reply. We welcome your comments. All comments are moderated for civility, relevance and other considerations. Click here for EdSource's Comments Policy. I am a retired math teacher and would love to give one-on-one support through Zoom. Punitive ISS follows the simple logic that students always know what they do is wrong and that by punishing them we correct their behavior.
With enough days of punishment, students will magically be rehabilitated and never have problems again, right? This applies equally to all students. In traditional in school suspension students are often given worksheets to work on or tasked with completing homework and not talking for the entirety of the day.
Students who rarely get in trouble are usually mortified about going to ISS. After all that means they got in trouble, and getting in trouble is bad! Students like this quickly realize the consequences of their actions. So, traditional ISS usually works for them. However, these type of students are very rarely the students causing the most concerns on your campus. The students that are causing the most concerns on your campus are students that are repeat troublemakers, those with serious behavior issues, or those that are simply oppositional to authority.
For these students, school suspension becomes a routine part of their life. The end result is a population of students perpetually cycling in and out but never improving. Schools practice traditional ISS with the best intentions. However it rarely resolves the behavioral issues of your students.
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