The purpose of the current study was to assess the effects of an alternative to suspension intervention on students' subsequent major referrals. The intervention included activities designed to teach social coping strategies as well as mediation to resolve interpersonal conflicts. The intervention was implemented in a therapeutic high school, and…

Today concern exists for the safety and success of students in the public education system. Families, educators, and community members are concerned with the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of students in an environment where incidents of violence are growing. Events like the school shootings at Jonesboro, Arkansas, and at Columbine…

Many urban high schools serving low-income families have below-average attendance rates, which can indicate that fewer students are prepared to matriculate into college and career opportunities. Through the use of participatory action research (PAR), we--a group of four educators at Wilson High School--have changed school policies and procedures…

The focus of this dissertation was the use of restorative justice practices in the collegiate setting. Some have expressed concern with the legal nature of campus conduct processes. Restorative practices have been implemented in criminal justice and K-12 settings and are seen by some as an antidote to overly legalistic campus conduct processes.…

Instead of time off from school, suspended students experience a long day, with minutes seeming more like hours unless they are willing to get to the tasks at hand. (Author)

Describes how a North Carolina elementary school altered teaching methods to suit the varied learning styles of the students based on the results of a learning styles inventory. Discusses changes made based on students' perceptual preferences, time of day preferences, environmental preferences, and sociological preferences. Notes that discipline…

Describes an intervention for children ages 4 through adolescence who steal. The child must apologize, return the stolen item, pay the victim an amount equal to the cost of replacing the stolen item, and lose a possession of approximately equal value. Provides a case example. (RJM)

High levels of disruptive behavior, discipline referrals, and suspensions are among the symptoms of schools which have lost the bonds of respect. Educators face major challenges in transforming these school cultures. This article describes how restorative practices were implemented in certain southeastern Pennsylvania schools. The process of…

It is proposed that a disciplinary Saturday school may be a good alternative to student suspension because it solves many of the problems involved with suspending students from school. Allowing students to attend Saturday school rather than being suspended gives them an opportunity to improve their grades and to attend all their regular classes.…

During the past ten years, many school districts have established alternative schools or programs for students who are seriously disruptive and academically unsuccessful. This bulletin describes five different types of alternative programs that have been effective in dealing with disruptive youth. They include the Tri-C Community Centered…

A means was developed to reduce the necessity for discipline among the 25 students who were the most chronic discipline problems at Thomas Jefferson High School, a 1,500-student school in suburban Pittsburgh. The students were identified by assigning point values to various disciplinary measures administered to students. The 25 students met with a…

A humanistic program implemented in a suburban Kansas City school district helped educators deal with the problems of absenteeism, poor motivation, lack of discipline, vandalism, tardiness, and drug use. The model is being looked at by many school districts throughout the United States. (RM)

The Innovative Instructional Incentive Plan represents a set of goals and action strategies for implementing the school improvement plan of the Fairway Elementary School in Miramar, Florida, where instructional time was being lost due to disruptive student behavior, and where behavioral infractions were not always dealt with quickly or…

National data dispute the value of school suspensions. This article describes specific alternatives to suspension, with special attention devoted to the creation of "in-school" suspension programs. It outlines philosophies, benefits, essential components, and major difficulties of in-school suspension centers and discusses truancy prevention,…

Describes a series of disciplinary measures that are being developed in schools across the country as alternatives to suspension from school. They range from special classes to efforts to bring about parental truancy control, and they reflect several new educational realities. (Author/RK)