Stopping this correlation early is of the utmost importance as “for children of color, the absence of a high school diploma did more than relegate someone to the economic margins of society…By the time they reach their early thirties, 52 percent of young, male, African American high school dropouts have spent some time in jail or prison” (Pettit & Western, 2003). Another point of questioning comes from the thought that possibly black males just misbehave at a higher rate than other demographic groups, but research has sought to identify whether the high incarceration rates of ethnic minority youth, compared with the rates of White youth, are due to their higher rates of illegal behavior or due to institutional practices such as patterns in
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Tracing these correlations of adult imprisonment back through the juvenile justice system, and to discipline in elementary, middle and high school aged students bares the question, at what point can intervention be most effective? While it has been heavily studied that these problems exist, the correlation of these issues and improvement through methods such as culturally competent behavioral intervention, positive behavioral intervention, and restorative justice at a younger age leaves a large gap in research to be done. Cultural competence training and professional development are among the solutions – areas where NEA is a leader and already has training in place. In addition, prevention programs that build “trusting, supportive relationships between students and educators” can be applied school-wide to reduce the likelihood of conflict. And when misbehavior does occur, it can be addressed through constructive and equitable “restorative justice” policies that reduce unnecessary discipline. These proactive strategies focus on problem-solving instead of just handing out penalties (Long …show more content…
This student-oriented directive offers a more comprehensive approach to minimize school disruption by incorporating proactive alternatives, such as positive discipline, school management, and a tiered approach to addressing the increasing behavioral needs of students, while concurrently teaching students appropriate alternatives to inappropriate behavior. The objective behind this method of discipline is to reinforce appropriate behaviors and set and clearly objectify rules, thereby teaching students appropriate interaction styles with their teachers and peers (Fenning & Rose 2007). Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports views the cause of behavior as an interaction between the individual and his environment. Therefore, it is assumed that by changing the environment through the universal provision of proactive and positive responses to discipline, changes in student and staff behavior will occur and lead to reductions in disproportionate representation in punitive discipline practices. There is little if any empirical evidence that PBIS exclusively will decrease the School to Prison Pipeline or racial disparities in exclusionary discipline. Yet, based on preliminary evidence which suggests that the use of specific components of PBIS decreases office discipline referrals and increases positive school climate, PBIS may be an effective technique to consider
Tracing these correlations of adult imprisonment back through the juvenile justice system, and to discipline in elementary, middle and high school aged students bares the question, at what point can intervention be most effective? While it has been heavily studied that these problems exist, the correlation of these issues and improvement through methods such as culturally competent behavioral intervention, positive behavioral intervention, and restorative justice at a younger age leaves a large gap in research to be done. Cultural competence training and professional development are among the solutions – areas where NEA is a leader and already has training in place. In addition, prevention programs that build “trusting, supportive relationships between students and educators” can be applied school-wide to reduce the likelihood of conflict. And when misbehavior does occur, it can be addressed through constructive and equitable “restorative justice” policies that reduce unnecessary discipline. These proactive strategies focus on problem-solving instead of just handing out penalties (Long …show more content…
This student-oriented directive offers a more comprehensive approach to minimize school disruption by incorporating proactive alternatives, such as positive discipline, school management, and a tiered approach to addressing the increasing behavioral needs of students, while concurrently teaching students appropriate alternatives to inappropriate behavior. The objective behind this method of discipline is to reinforce appropriate behaviors and set and clearly objectify rules, thereby teaching students appropriate interaction styles with their teachers and peers (Fenning & Rose 2007). Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports views the cause of behavior as an interaction between the individual and his environment. Therefore, it is assumed that by changing the environment through the universal provision of proactive and positive responses to discipline, changes in student and staff behavior will occur and lead to reductions in disproportionate representation in punitive discipline practices. There is little if any empirical evidence that PBIS exclusively will decrease the School to Prison Pipeline or racial disparities in exclusionary discipline. Yet, based on preliminary evidence which suggests that the use of specific components of PBIS decreases office discipline referrals and increases positive school climate, PBIS may be an effective technique to consider