Using data from the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), this report presents findings both on crime and violence in U.S. public schools and on the practices and programs schools have used to promote school safety. SSOCS collects data from public school principals about violent and nonviolent crimes in their schools. The survey also collects…

Despite conflicting reports on the state of disruptive behaviour in schools it continues to be a perennial one for all teachers. The purpose of this self-study, which utilises personal experience stories in the form of vignettes taken from my experience of teaching in various high schools in London England, is to illustrate how teaching…

This paper presents the appendices included in the "Good Discipline: Legislation for Education Reform" report. Appended are: (1) Federal Data Requirements; (2) Maryland State Law Requiring Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support Program when suspension rates exceed a certain level; (3) The Act's provisions focused on training and…

Exclusionary policies are practiced widely in schools despite being associated with extremely poor outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse students, particularly African American males with and without disabilities. This article discusses zero tolerance policies, the related research questioning their basic assumptions, and the negative…

Over the past several years, allegations of abuse and death related to seclusion and restraint, media coverage of these events, subsequent federal investigations, and Congressional hearings about this topic have resulted in increased pressure on Congress to pass legislation to address the use of seclusion and restraint in the school setting.…

English education policy has increasingly focused on the need to intervene in an intergenerational cycle of poverty and low attainment. The accompanying policy discourse has tended to emphasise the impact of family background on educational outcomes. However, as the capacity of parents to secure positive educational outcomes for their children is…

Over the past 25 years, Gallup polls have consistently reported that disruptive behavior and discipline problems are some of the top concerns of school staff and community members. In fact, problems with classroom management are among the most common reasons that teachers leave their jobs. In response, many schools are turning to more formal…

Most Monday mornings are noisy affairs where students and staff members are catching up on the events of the weekend. Sometimes these events are disputes that have festered over the weekend and are now ready to get settled. When a confrontation between students occurs, noise levels accelerate, students begin running, and an unnerving combination…

Schools remain one of the safest environments for children. However, in far too many schools, a lack of respect for the authority of teachers and other school employees, as well as for the rights of other students, is undermining the ability of schools to provide students with a quality education. Even in the best schools, employees often…

A number of evidence-based classroom management approaches, procedures, and programs have been developed and presented over the years. In this article the authors synthesize recommendations from various sources, focusing on evidence-based strategies that can be implemented in a systematic manner. They focus specifically on universal strategies,…

This article presents guidelines for effective discipline in special and general education settings. It addresses causes of discipline problems, prevention techniques (such as establishing rules), intervention techniques (organized into an intervention ladder of increasing intrusiveness), and techniques for evaluating discipline effectiveness. (DB)

Describes an intervention for children ages 4 through adolescence who steal. The child must apologize, return the stolen item, pay the victim an amount equal to the cost of replacing the stolen item, and lose a possession of approximately equal value. Provides a case example. (RJM)

Explores the effects of a proactive school-wide discipline approach on the frequency of problem behavior displayed by elementary students. Study was designed to explore the impact of a social skill instruction program and direct intervention on problem behaviors in three school settings (cafeteria, recess, and hallway transition). Results indicate…

Describes the operation of the Vice Principal's Advisory Council (VPAC) at Montgomery High School, Skillman, New Jersey, which is used to provide a team approach to intervention in student problems. (JW)

The Innovative Instructional Incentive Plan represents a set of goals and action strategies for implementing the school improvement plan of the Fairway Elementary School in Miramar, Florida, where instructional time was being lost due to disruptive student behavior, and where behavioral infractions were not always dealt with quickly or…