Research shows that students who experience discipline that removes them from the classroom are more likely to repeat a grade, drop out of school, and become involved in the juvenile justice system. This can result in decreased earning potential and added costs to society (lost tax revenue and incarceration). The Government Accountability Office…

Describes a Wellesley (Massachusetts) study concerning why parents are moving their children from public to private schools. The reasons--school closings, discipline problems, unresponsive schools, and lack of teacher and administrator concern for the individual child--point to the importance of the principal. (Author/JM)