Spring 2015
RESEARCH BRIEF Putting Guidelines for School Climate and Student Discipline Improvement into Practice
Jacob A. Olsen University of North Carolina at Charlotte Introduc)on The U.S. Department of Education recently published Guiding Principles: A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline (2014) to support policy makers, local school officials and school personnel with the implementation of systems and procedures that are conducive to school environments where all students can succeed. The publication of the guide comes at a point in time when there is a growing concern for the school safety, as well as skepticism regarding the equity of discipline practices with increasingly diverse student populations (Amatea & West-Olatunji, 2007; Hernandez & Seem, 2004; Uehara, 2005). In many ways, the publication of the guide aligns with a recent push for educators to address the need for safe schools and classrooms and the social emotional well being of all students in addition to effective teaching of academic subjects (Thapa, Cohen, Guffey, & HigginsD’Alessandro, 2013). Improving the climate of schools and classrooms by promoting equitable practices and teaching students’ prosocial behaviors are not new phenomena in the field of education. Researchers and authors in the fields of school violence (Astor, Benbenishty, & Nunez-Estrada, 2009), special education (Ducharme & Shecter, 2011), school counseling (Martens & Andreen, 2013) and multicultural education (Cartledge & Kourea, 2008) have concerned themselves with addressing the myriad of issues that affect students’ success in school. Due to repeated instances of school violence that have gained national attention, school officials, parents, and community members have increasingly focused on improving student problem behavior with preventative measures and alternative to suspension discipline strategies (Chin, Dowdy, Jimerson, & Rime, 2012). Current policies at the national, state and district levels provide general guidelines to address school climate and discipline, however it is often up to individual schools to put policy into practice (Jones, Fisher, Greene, Hertz, & Pritzl, 2007). A recent national study found that more than 80% of states provided policy related assistance, technical assistance, and professional development to districts or schools that focused on topics such as classroom management, crisis
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One barrier to consistent school safety and school personnel’s preparedness to manage the school environment is the lack of clarity about what prac:ces are effec:ve. preparedness, and bullying and violence prevention (Jones, Barrios, Feldman-Hertz, & Hall-Jordan, 2013). At the district level, violence prevention strategies included policies prohibiting gang activity and bullying, and putting plans in place for students at risk for suicide (Jones et al., 2013). At the school level, policies to address student safety and discipline focused on student behavior and preventative measures such as monitors for school grounds and communication devices for security to prevent violence (Jones, et al., 2013). How schools put these policies into practice varies. An analysis of school discipline policies found that schools most likely emphasize punitive measures such as suspension and expulsion to remediate student behavior (Fenning et al., 2012). A major concern is that punitive measures have been implemented disproportionately. For example, American Indian, Black and Hispanic students are more likely than White students to be disciplined at school and Black students are more likely than students of other ethnic groups to be expelled or suspended (Skiba, Michael, Nardo, & Peterson, 2002; Wallace, Goodkind, Wallace, & Bachman, 2008). A variety of strategies to improve school climate and student discipline are in place nation-wide, however, schools continue to face the challenge of translating policy into effective and equitable practice. One barrier to consistent school safety and school personnel’s preparedness to manage the school environment is the lack of clarity about what practices are effective. Some schools neglect to systematically address school safety and student problem behavior, while other
schools implement complex procedures aimed at creating a positive school climate and supporting the behavioral, social, and emotional needs of students. An added challenge for many schools is an increasingly diverse student population (Vincent, Randall, Cartledge, Tobin, & SwainBradway, 2011). Given the importance of educating all students in safe schools and classrooms, it is essential that states, districts, and schools implement best practices proven to optimize student success. However, for this outcome to be possible, school personnel need to know what the best practices are and how to implement these practices. The Guiding Principles: A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline (2014) provides guidelines for effective practices to address school climate and discipline. These guidelines and effective approaches to implement the recommended practices will be explored.
Connec)ng Guiding Principles to PBIS and CSCP The purpose of Guiding Principles: A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline (2014) is to amalgamate components of best practices into a blueprint and resource for schools. Regardless of the extent to which schools currently implement practices aimed at improving school climate and student discipline procedures, school personnel can use the guide to action plan, modify, or enhance current practices. The strategies outlined in the guide parallel the best practices outlined in the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP) frameworks. PBIS and CSCP’s are widely implemented in schools across the nation (ASCA, 2014; Office of Special Education Programs Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, 2014); therefore it behooves policy makers, school administration and school personnel to consider intentionally focusing these already available resources on improving school climate and discipline procedures.
Implica)ons and Recommenda)ons The Guiding Principles: A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline (2014) gives three guiding principles of best practices