A substantial amount of controversy surrounds the issue of class size in public schools. Parents and teachers are on one side, touting the benefits of smaller class sizes (e.g., increased academic achievement, greater student-teacher interaction, utilization of more innovative teaching strategies, and a decrease in discipline problems). On the…

Cooperative behavior is important for well-functioning high school classrooms in which students trust their teachers and actively engage in academic tasks. Yet, discipline referrals for disruption and defiance are all too common and can result in lost instructional time and increased teacher stress. As such, more needs to be understood about…

This report presents findings on crime and violence in U.S. public schools, using data from the 2007-08 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS:2008). SSOCS provides information about school crime-related topics from the perspective of schools by asking school principals about the frequency of incidents, such as physical attacks, robberies, and…

The current study explored male and female principals' views of classroom and discipline management from a gender perspective. Based on semi-structured interviews with 16 primary school principals from Israel, the study points to gendered views of school discipline, in that certain perspectives to prevent or handle discipline problems in school…

A survey of all school employees in three Cook County (Illinois) schools asked how they view student discipline. Principals reviewed survey results for their schools and then met with faculty members to work out solutions. Because of positive public and staff response, similar surveys will be conducted every two years. (MLF)

Background: Looking at dress code violations and demographics surrounding kids breaking the rules. Purpose: To see if there is a connection between dress code violations and discipline referrals. Setting: Jr. High School; Study Sample: Students with dress code violations for one week; Intervention: N/A; Research Design: Correlational; and Control…

The purpose of this paper is to identify strategies for preventing and managing classroom discipline problems that any teacher, even a student teacher, can use successfully. Sixty-eight student science teachers, during their first weeks of student teaching, each reported, in an account of a well-remembered event about classroom management,…

Reports the results of a study of the discipline alternative, in-school suspension, in which disruptive students are removed from the mainstream and placed in a specialized program within the school. Identifies four areas in which discrepancies were found between what was planned and what actually happened. (Author/WD)

Many surveys confirm a substantial number of discipline problems in schools, but not many surveys are aimed at their identification. Identification of discipline violations is indispensable for prudent planning of their interventions in and prevention of their occurrence. Earlier studies focused mostly on the teachers' perceptions of discipline…

Principals should protect their teachers from taking unnecessary verbal abuse from angry parents. Teachers should not go into a conference unprepared but should be trained in effective presentation skills and backed up by supporting documentation, a definite agenda, and adherence to proper procedures. Maintaining silence or "neutrality" is…

Virginia sued the U.S. Department of Education over withdrawal of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act funding in a dispute involving discipline of a disabled student. Disciplinary safeguards for students with disability-related misconduct are well established by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in "Honig v. Doe." Congress…

Research on decision-making skills of teachers has indicated the importance of experience. Also, occupational culture has been found significantly related to teachers' thinking and behavior in the class. This study investigates in what aspects experienced teachers (cooperating teachers) and less experienced teachers) (student teachers) differ when…

Peer mediation is a school-based intervention program that was implemented in response to the rising violence in schools, and to the need for alternative and more proactive discipline plans. Using the theoretical framework of the Social Identity Theory, this article highlighted the importance of peer mediation in helping adolescents resolve their…

"Talent Development High Schools" is a school reform model for restructuring large high schools with persistent attendance and discipline problems, poor student achievement, and high dropout rates. The model includes both structural and curriculum reforms. It calls for schools to reorganize into small "learning…

The investigators attempted to employ strategies that would attack identified perpetrators of school violence and vandalism existing within schools. Results indicated that the dollar costs of vandalism and frequency of inappropriate student behavior decreased more in experimental than in control schools. (Author)