Suspensions Don't Work by Krista Barton-Arnold

Post date: Nov 10, 2015 10:08:02 PM

Returning to a principalship has been invigorating, exciting and yet totally exhausting. The heels of my shoes are worn out and my feet hurt on most days. My two years as a director I was able to learn and grow as a professional. I was able to see instructional leadership at its finest and instructional leadership that was not successful. I made plans and set my course. I soon realized that I had way too many unrealistic expectations for myself and for the staff at Parkway. I quickly remembered how humbling the principalship can truly be.

One of my naïve notions was that I was not going to suspend students. I was exposed to the divisionwide data on discipline. I have read the articles about our minority students and the percentages of suspensions. Parkway stood out as a school that had a very high number of out of school suspensions. I judged.

Let me say right now, before I go any further, I still believe. I believe that suspensions do nothing to change behavior. That is what we want right? We want Javon to stop placing his hands on his fellow students. Or for Mya to be respectful to the teacher. What I have learned during this first quarter is that it is easy to say and to write about having alternatives to suspension, but it is a lot harder to do, for both the administrator and the classroom teacher. Alternative discipline is time consuming and some days exhausting.  Job one for a principal is to keep all children and staff safe. Job two is to provide a quality education for all students. When dealing with discipline and alternatives to suspension, sometimes job one and job two are in direct conflict. Finding the right balance is something that is just taking me some time.

I am developing a good support system here at Parkway, I have two psychology interns who are trying hard to address the mental health needs of so many of our students. They are here two days a week and the reality is that amount of time, is a drop in the bucket for what many of my students need. I have a great assistant principal, Nicole Bailey, who believes in the PBIS approach and has worked tirelessly to create alternative, meaningful interventions to help change behavior. What we have discovered is to make real change in students’ behavior you need sustained intervention, a mindset that we (meaning the adults) can impact student’s behavior and facilitate change and a tremendous amount of patience.

What I was totally unprepared for was the pressure to suspend. It comes from many different directions. Teachers, parents, staff members and even the students themselves. Somehow, not suspending made me feel weaker as an administrator. Ridiculous, I know. I had to reflect on that emotion and really beat it down to stay strong in my resolve. A few minutes reading the news brings back the reality for me. Suspensions do nothing but give us a quick Band-Aid on a problem and make us all feel better for about a day.

I have no happy ending for this article, we are still very much in the painful midst of change. My heel is worn off, but I remain optimistic.

Suspensions don't work—for schools, teachers, or students

• • Evidence does not show that discipline practices that remove students from instruction—such as suspensions and expulsions—help to improve either student behavior or school climate.

  • (Skiba, Shure, Middelberg & Baker, 2011)

    • Suspensions have negative consequences

  • Suspensions are associated with negative student outcomes such as lower academic performance, higher rates of dropout, failures to graduate on time, decreased academic engagement, and future disciplinary exclusion.

  • (Achilles, McLaughlin, Croninger,2007; Arcia, 2006; Christle, Jolivette, & Nelson, 2005; Costenbader & Markson, 1998; Lee, Cornell, Gregory, & Fan, 2011; Raffaele-Mendez, 2003; Rodney et al., 1999; Skiba & Peterson, 1999)

    • There are effective alternatives to suspension

  • Evidence-based, multi-tiered behavioral frameworks, such as positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), can help improve overall school climate and safety.

  • (Bradshaw, C., Koth, C.W., Thornton, L.A., & Leaf, P.J., 2009)

  • Interventions, school-wide and individual, that use proactive, preventative approaches, address the underlying cause or purpose of the behavior, and reinforce positive behaviors, have been associated with increases in academic engagement, academic achievement, and reductions in suspensions and school dropouts.

  • (American Psychological Association, 2008; Christle, Jolivette, & Nelson, 2005; Crone & Hawken, 2010; Liaupsin, Umbreit, Ferro, Urso, & Upreti, 2006; Luiselli, Putnam, Handler, & Feinberg, 2005; Putnam, Horner, & Algozzine, 2006; Skiba & Sprague, 2008; Theriot, Craun, & Dupper, 2010)

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