To suspend or not to suspend. That is the question...

So how do we improve student behavior in schools? I will tell you what does not work, suspending kids from class. Let’s just think about that for a moment. Disruptive students are usually not really interested in the class they are in, so they misbehave, are defiant, disruptive, cause an impact on student learning…you name the offense. What is our solution to the problem, give them what they want and send them out of class. Maybe is for a class period, or a day or two, but we give them what they want and then they come back into the learning environment and nothing changes.

Yes, for some kids when they get suspended from a class or from school, the resulting discipline they receive from home will cause a change in the classroom. For many of our at-risk students, they don’t have a home environment that is giving them the tools they need to manage themselves in class. We send students away from the supportive and structured environment in the schools into an environment that is part to the challenge for these at-risk students.

There needs to be a better way. Students need to be held accountable for their actions, and they need to learn how to make the changes in themselves to be able to function in the learning environment of the school. I would propose the need for a space on campus where:

• They are held accountable for their actions that warranted the removal from their class.
• Are given the academic support they need so as to not fall behind during their time away
• Integrates restorative practices with emotional wellness to give students the tools they need to manage their behaviors and return to their class in a positive way.

The traditional in-school suspension method usually meets two of these criteria; accountability and academic support. It is the third criteria that can be the change agent that disrupts the repetitive behavior cycle characteristic of at-risk students.

As school leaders evaluate the data around discipline, looking for trends on office referrals, suspensions and student profiles will help them to see the gaps they have in meeting student needs. Perhaps the space presented here is what they need, or something different. However, regardless of the school location or student demographics, at-risk students need more from their schools to become productive members of society; a mission every school claims they are doing.