Student behavior is a part of every school setting. It is inevitable that student behavior problems will occur. Throughout public education’s history, out of school suspensions (OSS) has been the popular consequence for major offenses; however, studies have shown that many school districts send students to OSS even for minor offenses (Dupper, 1994). Through public criticism, in school suspension (ISS) was born. This was a way for schools to keep students in school, but out of the classroom.

In-School Suspension Programs

ISS seems like a great strategy for student misbehavior. It doesn’t count as students being absent and they get to take a time off from the classroom that they’re misbehaving in. In fact, ISS setting should be a deterrent to their “bad” behavior. If that is the case, then why is there is such high recidivism in ISS? Many research articles point out the fact that ISS programs vary from district to district. Within a district, it still varies from school to school. In some schools, ISS programs are much like a “holding classroom”. Students are expected to be quiet, maybe make up work that they’ve missed, and they are isolated from their friends. Allman & Slate (2011) states that it negatively impacts students, increasing the likelihood of recidivism and students choosing to drop out of school. In order to maintain consistency and to increase efforts in changing student behavior, ISS programs should be uniformed county-wide.

Effective ISS Programs

Sheets’ (1996) research points out that if ISS programs focus on behavior change rather than the actual consequence itself, then it will be more effective. Contrary to popular belief, an ISS program is necessary to modify student behavior, protect the overall learning environment, and protect the community by keeping students off the streets (Sheets, 1996). For any program to be effective, it must have a foundational component, which all parties involved will develop the program’s philosophy. The operational component includes a qualified person assigned to monitor the program. Lastly, the evaluation component must measure student behavioral change over time to determine if the program is effective.

Modifying Behavior

How will students change their behavior if they are not aware of the cause of their behavior? According to research studies, ISS should be a time of self-reflection. This is when behavior counseling will take place. When students first attend ISS, they should immediately think about the action(s) that led them there, the rule they broke, and the attitude they displayed. They need to understand why they were sent there in the first place (Morris & Howard, 2003). Therefore, students will answer a series of reflective questions during this time.

Additionally, research shows that most students who are sent to ISS are reading and writing below grade level. Haley & Watson’s (2000) research shows that utilizing a literacy-based approach in ISS is effective. This is when the facilitator writes with the students using prompts to create an essay describing the events that led them to ISS.

Why ISS

A simple punitive model of punishment is not enough. If the school does not attempt to change student behavior while they are being “punished” in ISS, or provide them with an academic component, then recidivism in ISS will continue to increase, which essentially decreases overall student achievement.

  References

Allman, K.L. & Slate, J.R. (2011). School Discipline in Public Education: A Brief Review of Current Practices. International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, 6 (2).

Dupper, David R. (1994). Reducing Out of School Suspensions: A Survey of Attitudes and Barriers. Social Work In Education. 16 (2), 115-123.

Haley, A. N., & Watson, D. C. (2000). In-school literacy extension: Beyond in-school suspension. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 43(7), 654-661. Retrieved from http://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2048/login?url=https://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2261/docview/216910744?accountid=36334

Morris, R.C., & Howard, A.C. (2003). Designing an effective in-school suspension program. The Clearing House, 76, 156-159.

Sheets, J. (1996). Designing an effective in-school suspension program to change student behavior. National Association of Secondary School Principals.NASSP Bulletin, 80(579), 86. Retrieved from http://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2048/login?url=https://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2261/docview/216026632?accountid=36334