IV. Identifying Solutions

F. School Improvement Programs

i. Increased School Discipline

“While a school might respond to violence or the fear of violence with restrictive measures such as police action, suspension or expulsion, policies that promote a positive school climate and prevent violence may be more effective.”72

Alternatives to Suspension at Home.73 The Kingston, Ontario schools use an innovative approach to school suspension, as part of a larger safe schools partnership between law enforcement and the schools. The objective of the Kingston approach is to:

“provide students under suspension with an opportunity to continue their education and learn appropriate social skills. The program is supervised by a program coordinator and trained community volunteers. While participating in the program the student will remain in a positive environment avoiding negative influences which may affect his/her behavior. Each student referred to the program will be assessed to determine what social skills require intervention. An individual program will be designed emphasizing cooperation, self-control, and responsibility.”74

Schools refer students between the ages of 9 and 15. The site of the program is the local youth diversion office and parents are responsible for providing transportation.75

Student Courts. “Student courts determine the consequences of student infractions, giving students greater responsibility in implementing school policies. Some courts are modeled after the judicial system, while others are more informal .... In many schools, students can choose to have their cases decided by the student court or by the administration.”76

ii. Effective Classroom Management

“When teachers use pro-active classroom management (such as clear expectations, minimal instructional interruption, and contingent praise and encouragement for student effort) and interactive teaching techniques, students not only behave appropriately, they demonstrate improved academic achievement and commitment to school. This approach has been demonstrated most convincingly in long-term studies following the Communities That Care model.”77

The Vermont Department of Education report “Preventing and Responding to School Disruption and Violence” outlines effective resources to reduce disruption and violence in the classroom.78

iii. Improvements to the Physical Plant and Scheduling

As part of the evaluation process, schools may want to consider characteristics of the school’s physical plant and daily schedule, to make the environment more conducive to safety and learning.

“Drug Strategies” (see footnote 59) suggests, “Every violent incident should be documented, so that the school can begin to assess when and where they occurred. One way of keeping track of fights or other violent incidents is to get a diagram of the school’s floor plan and mark (with colored tacks to signify the types of incidents) where they occurred.”79 Changes to traffic flow patterns, supervision, lighting, eliminating dead space in stairwells and bathrooms, can all help create a safer school environment. Completing needed repairs, painting dreary halls, hanging student artwork all promote school pride, student accomplishments, and a more positive learning environment.80

If security measures are deemed necessary, “Schools must decide how to balance the need for security and the negative messages of suspicion and mistrust these measures may send.”81 It is suggested that “if a school decides that security measures are necessary, the physical environment of the school should be improved at the same time .... School officials should also make clear that security measures do not reflect mistrust of students, but instead are intended to protect them.”82 (See Appendix I)