@Drswift101 In middle schools, Black males receive disproportionate office discipline referrals for the subjective offenses of disrespect, insubordination, and disruption. Black males are also more likely to receive excessively punitive and exclusionary school disciplinary action. Middle school teachers and administrators face many challenges as they are most often responsible for managing these subjective behaviors and choosing disciplinary responses.
Research indicates that implementing Restorative Practices in middle schools can decrease the number of subjective offenses and help to reduce the disproportion in ODRs. However, little research exists concerning the use of Restorative Practices within middle school settings across a district.
In response to a national dialogue around school discipline policies and practices, the USDE and the Department of Justice issued joint federal policy and legal guidance to provide public schools with a roadmap to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline practices and clarify the civil rights obligation of schools to eliminate discrimination based on protected classes, specifically race and gender, in the administration of school discipline (Office for Civil Rights, 2016). Like many school districts, the state has identified many as excluding disproportionate numbers of Black students from school. When the lens is narrowed to focus specifically on middle schools, the office discipline referral data confirms disproportionate impact on Black males persists at that level.
Restorative Practices is an intervention that takes time and effort to implement effectively. Teachers and administrators have social responsibilities in schools that require them to identify, adopt, and sustain effective discipline practices, especially for students who present subjective behavior problems. This problem is not unique to school districts. School systems across the nation are employing various approaches and interventions to reduce the disproportion.
Restorative Practices is an intervention to reduce the number of and disparity in office discipline referrals and to improve relationships within classrooms and the school.
Increasing teacher capacity to understand the role of teacher decision-making in encouraging and maintaining student behavioral expectations in the classroom is an essential component in the discipline process. Implementing changes in teacher capacity directly impacts the interpersonal relationships between the teacher and the student and can determine how teachers will interpret and respond to student behavior (Crosnoe, 2000).
Teacher capacity also involves the alignment of knowledge, skills, and dispositions with professional, national, state, and local standards. Effective teacher capacity improves school climate, promotes effective discipline, and yields more respectful and less disruptive student behaviors in the classroom (Gregory, Clawson, et al., 2016). Teachers set the tone for the management of behavior in their classrooms and their attitude toward supporting their students and developing a positive relationship with them is critical to classroom management.
Discipline policies and procedures provide a framework for schools and the district to establish local codes of conduct and develop new guidelines for behavioral expectations for all students. They have a direct impact on creating teaching and learning environments that promote academic learning and student success. They also provide suggested prevention, intervention, restorative, and incentive-based strategies to respond to student misconduct; and detailed explanations of specific student behaviors that are not permitted.
Skiba, Michael, et al. (2002) examined disproportionate discipline based on race and socioeconomic status in their search for the causes of disproportionate office discipline referrals for Black students. They found that when infractions were subject to interpretation and when disciplinary action was at the discretion of teachers, Black males were more likely to receive office discipline referrals than White students. Reinforcing the work of earlier researchers, Kinsler (2011) identified racial stereotyping and profiling on the part of teachers as causes of disproportionality in disciplinary actions, including office discipline referrals.
Traditionally, culture has been thought of as a system of values and beliefs shared by a certain group of individuals; however, Walsh (2012) argues that the term "culture" is sometimes used synonymously with "race" when describing differences between groups. The term "culture" may serve to mute and blunt the very real differences in power that are attendant to each demographic category of race and gender (Vaught & Castagno, 2008). As early as 2000, Townsend contended that the disproportion in disciplinary actions can be largely attributed to teachers' cultural mismatches or demographic differences with certain student populations.
According to research, implementing Restorative Practices requires districts to provide an ongoing commitment of adequate support to teachers and to create and sustain classroom climates that promote the practices (Gregory & Evans, 2020). Also, according to research, depending on teachers' perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs, it will take time to transform the attitudes and behavior of teachers toward students from ingrained punitive models to restorative classroom frameworks that encourage student engagement in maintaining behavioral expectations.
It is challenging to transform educators' and students' perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and behavior from zero-tolerance punitive models to a restorative framework that solicits student ownership of their behavior in maintaining behavioral expectations in classrooms and schools. Research and experience show that creating and sustaining a whole-school restorative school climate requires time, training, and commitment to adequate resources and support (Gregory and Evans, 2020).
BIO
Dr. Alice Swift @aacps.org is currently the Director of Safe and Orderly Schools and Deputy Coordinator of Title IX for Anne Arundel County Public Schools located in the State of Maryland. Dr. Swift is also a nationally certified Hearing Officer recognized by the National Association of Hearing Officers. She previously worked as a high-school principal in Prince Georges County Public Schools located in the State of Maryland. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech-Communication, Master of Arts in Teaching, and a Doctorate in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University of Maryland College Park. Alice has dedicated over 28 years to the public education system. She leads utilizing the philosophy of collaborative leadership and believes the foundation for this leadership style requires strong educator and student voice, transparency, and a shared commitment to the growth and success of students. She leads with the philosophy that all students can be provided opportunities for college-career and workforce readiness that require a strong commitment, grit, and compassion for the profession. Alice is a mother to one amazing son, Jordan, who is currently attending the University of Maryland, College Park.
Research indicates that implementing Restorative Practices in middle schools can decrease the number of subjective offenses and help to reduce the disproportion in ODRs. However, little research exists concerning the use of Restorative Practices within middle school settings across a district.
In response to a national dialogue around school discipline policies and practices, the USDE and the Department of Justice issued joint federal policy and legal guidance to provide public schools with a roadmap to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline practices and clarify the civil rights obligation of schools to eliminate discrimination based on protected classes, specifically race and gender, in the administration of school discipline (Office for Civil Rights, 2016). Like many school districts, the state has identified many as excluding disproportionate numbers of Black students from school. When the lens is narrowed to focus specifically on middle schools, the office discipline referral data confirms disproportionate impact on Black males persists at that level.
Restorative Practices is an intervention that takes time and effort to implement effectively. Teachers and administrators have social responsibilities in schools that require them to identify, adopt, and sustain effective discipline practices, especially for students who present subjective behavior problems. This problem is not unique to school districts. School systems across the nation are employing various approaches and interventions to reduce the disproportion.
Restorative Practices is an intervention to reduce the number of and disparity in office discipline referrals and to improve relationships within classrooms and the school.
Increasing teacher capacity to understand the role of teacher decision-making in encouraging and maintaining student behavioral expectations in the classroom is an essential component in the discipline process. Implementing changes in teacher capacity directly impacts the interpersonal relationships between the teacher and the student and can determine how teachers will interpret and respond to student behavior (Crosnoe, 2000).
Teacher capacity also involves the alignment of knowledge, skills, and dispositions with professional, national, state, and local standards. Effective teacher capacity improves school climate, promotes effective discipline, and yields more respectful and less disruptive student behaviors in the classroom (Gregory, Clawson, et al., 2016). Teachers set the tone for the management of behavior in their classrooms and their attitude toward supporting their students and developing a positive relationship with them is critical to classroom management.
Discipline policies and procedures provide a framework for schools and the district to establish local codes of conduct and develop new guidelines for behavioral expectations for all students. They have a direct impact on creating teaching and learning environments that promote academic learning and student success. They also provide suggested prevention, intervention, restorative, and incentive-based strategies to respond to student misconduct; and detailed explanations of specific student behaviors that are not permitted.
Skiba, Michael, et al. (2002) examined disproportionate discipline based on race and socioeconomic status in their search for the causes of disproportionate office discipline referrals for Black students. They found that when infractions were subject to interpretation and when disciplinary action was at the discretion of teachers, Black males were more likely to receive office discipline referrals than White students. Reinforcing the work of earlier researchers, Kinsler (2011) identified racial stereotyping and profiling on the part of teachers as causes of disproportionality in disciplinary actions, including office discipline referrals.
Traditionally, culture has been thought of as a system of values and beliefs shared by a certain group of individuals; however, Walsh (2012) argues that the term "culture" is sometimes used synonymously with "race" when describing differences between groups. The term "culture" may serve to mute and blunt the very real differences in power that are attendant to each demographic category of race and gender (Vaught & Castagno, 2008). As early as 2000, Townsend contended that the disproportion in disciplinary actions can be largely attributed to teachers' cultural mismatches or demographic differences with certain student populations.
According to research, implementing Restorative Practices requires districts to provide an ongoing commitment of adequate support to teachers and to create and sustain classroom climates that promote the practices (Gregory & Evans, 2020). Also, according to research, depending on teachers' perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs, it will take time to transform the attitudes and behavior of teachers toward students from ingrained punitive models to restorative classroom frameworks that encourage student engagement in maintaining behavioral expectations.
It is challenging to transform educators' and students' perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, and behavior from zero-tolerance punitive models to a restorative framework that solicits student ownership of their behavior in maintaining behavioral expectations in classrooms and schools. Research and experience show that creating and sustaining a whole-school restorative school climate requires time, training, and commitment to adequate resources and support (Gregory and Evans, 2020).
BIO
Dr. Alice Swift @aacps.org is currently the Director of Safe and Orderly Schools and Deputy Coordinator of Title IX for Anne Arundel County Public Schools located in the State of Maryland. Dr. Swift is also a nationally certified Hearing Officer recognized by the National Association of Hearing Officers. She previously worked as a high-school principal in Prince Georges County Public Schools located in the State of Maryland. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech-Communication, Master of Arts in Teaching, and a Doctorate in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University of Maryland College Park. Alice has dedicated over 28 years to the public education system. She leads utilizing the philosophy of collaborative leadership and believes the foundation for this leadership style requires strong educator and student voice, transparency, and a shared commitment to the growth and success of students. She leads with the philosophy that all students can be provided opportunities for college-career and workforce readiness that require a strong commitment, grit, and compassion for the profession. Alice is a mother to one amazing son, Jordan, who is currently attending the University of Maryland, College Park.