Moving Forward with School Discipline

The discussion around school discipline can be polarizing.  On one hand, advocacy groups and those committed to fairness are rightly disturbed that minority students are often expelled at three to four times the rate of their white peers.  On the other hand, teachers and parents are deeply concerned about creating an out-of-control, even unsafe, environment where students can do as they please – without any real concern for consequences.

But almost everyone agrees that students need to be in class in order to succeed academically, and that suspensions and expulsions should be as rare as possible.  And almost everyone agrees that student and educator safety should be top priority.

In recent years, many schools have moved away from “zero tolerance” policies and begun implementing programs such as progressive discipline, restorative practices, Positive Behavior Interventions & Support, Responsibility-Centered Discipline, Safe & Civil Schools, Conscious Discipline and other alternative methodologies.  But which of these systems actually work? And how can they be successfully implemented?

“Zero tolerance” policies are a lot easier to implement than creating a culture where students feel safe and engaged, and in the rare cases where students fall short of expectations, educators have a fair and constructive process to handle the situation.

The School Discipline Conference provides a forum where educators can gather information on various approaches and philosophies. It is a must-attend gathering for educators focused on improving academic performance by applying the most current innovations and research to behavior intervention and classroom management. 

Featured Topics:

• Exemplary Research-Based Programs
• Supportive, Non-Exclusionary Disciplinary Practices
• Common Mistakes Teachers Make with Classroom Control
• Do’s and Don’ts of Applying Positive Behavior Interventions
• Keys to Working with Minority Students
• How to Handle Particularly Challenging Discipline Moments