Two exploratory studies describe patterns found in middle school discipline referral records. The first project involved the establishment of criteria for identifying the "most difficult" middle school students who would be candidates for a specialized mentoring program. The second project compared the discipline referral patterns of…

A study of 14 secondary students (7 from special education) in detention investigated their perceptions on why they and their friends had received detention and how they would deal with these misbehaviors. Results indicated students felt rote enforcement, standardized procedures, and lack of communication with adults contributed to disciplinary…

Several exclusionary discipline practices used with handicapped learners are described. A survey of 253 principals identified the variability of disciplinary practices, as a function of geographic region, community size, principal's sex and years of experience, grade level, differential rules for handicapped and nonhandicapped students, and types…

Proposes that the impact of adolescents' reactions to antidrug messages is contingent upon the extent of adolescent rebelliousness. Studied 51 adolescents who saw 6 antidrug Public Service Advertisements (PSAs). Rebellious adolescents from the more authoritarian, conformity-oriented families who were shown antidrug PSAs considered the messages…

Explains factors that influence novice teachers' discipline problems to help students, novice teachers, and teacher educators deal with the problems. The article describes assertiveness as a process for dealing with and preventing such problems and discusses reasons why it can be useful and effective. (SM)

Reports on a four-year mentoring project developed for African-American adolescents. Self-esteem, attitudes toward drugs and alcohol, grades, school attendance, and disciplinary infractions were examined. No significant differences were found between the control and intervention groups. Offers explanations for why it is difficult to document the…

A discussion of the prevalence of academic cheating in higher education looks at research on the problem and at possible remedies. Difficulties for faculty in enforcing discipline policies are noted. Approaches to creating a culture encouraging integrity include vocal administrative support for ethics, an academic integrity code, classroom…

Describes one teacher's successful efforts to free herself from a disruptive, threatening student by using the law. The Cook versus Bray case illustrates that teachers do not have to tolerate students who ride roughshod over the rights of other students or teachers when the school administration chooses not to protect them. (GR)

This article profiles Unified Discipline, a schoolwide systemic model of discipline that incorporates factors associated with best practices in teaching behavior and improving discipline. The four components of the program are described and include unified attitudes, expectations, correction, and team roles. Implications for practice are…

Explores the attitudes of students, teachers, and parents toward students' disruptive behavior as part of school discipline. Finds that teachers agreed on the severity of most disruptive behavior problems, while parents and students disagreed among themselves. Indicates that parents and students should be involved with discipline-related policies.…

In spring 1994, the author was hired to be the assistant principal at McLoughlin Middle School in Medford, Oregon. Disciplinary referrals in the 804-student school were on the rise. Teachers were frustrated, students were anxious, and parents were concerned. Casting about for a solution, she heard about a two-day workshop on schoolwide discipline…

With more and more instances of corruptness coming to light in the field of education, corruptness in education has become an intense "hot point" of concern in society. This article is a tentative exploration into this matter. In this article, the author discusses the categories of the corruptness in education that has found widespread…

Using administrative data on public school students in North Carolina, we find that sixth grade students attending middle schools are much more likely to be cited for discipline problems than those attending elementary school. That difference remains after adjusting for the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the students and their…

Indiscipline in political parties is antithetic to democratic consolidation and good governance in Nigeria. This article looks at the reasons and provides examples of actions of indiscipline in political parties in Nigeria and recommends that: the party must be superior to all its members, funding of the party should never be on individualistic…

This report presents findings of a study, conducted by the United States General Accounting Office (GAO), that investigated programs used by schools to curb violence. Specifically, the study examined four promising school-based violence-prevention programs. Data were obtained from: (1) interviews with violence-prevention program directors, federal…