Alternatives to Discipline

Ohio students flourish when they are in school and provided with positive behavioral interventions and supports. Ohio law states no school district or school shall issue an out-of-school suspension or expulsion to a student in grades pre-kindergarten through three. Ohio law encourages keeping students in the learning environment by not allowing schools to suspend, expel, or remove students solely on the basis of a student’s absences.  

Students that remain in the classroom have an increased outcome of academic success. Discipline often removes students from the classroom and the school. Alternative discipline practices encourage keeping students in the learning environment to limit gaps in learning and maximize student success. Alternatives to discipline seek to provide teachable opportunities to encourage expected behaviors. Educators and administrators may choose alternative strategies to discipline to mitigate the negative and disproportionate student impact, while increasing long term support for staff. Reducing the use of disciplinary measures keeps students in school and teaches responsibility and problem-solving skills. 

Why are alternatives to discipline important?

Alternatives to discipline practices help students reflect, learn, and restore relationships. Providing positive alternatives to discipline can address the root causes of student behavior and provide instructional practice where students learn skills to solve conflicts to make better decisions in the future. Alternatives to discipline practices can be used at all developmental levels with students.  

What are alternatives to discipline?

The National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments defines alternatives to discipline as a positive approach to discipline that shifts the focus from punishment to a shared commitment to building a safe and supportive learning environment. When applied though multi-tiered systems of support, the foundation is laid for positive discipline methods to be successful. The shift from punishment to positive approach to discipline teaches civility, interpersonal skills, and restores relationships. Positive approaches to discipline can provide pre-planned responses to disruption or violence and create conditions for teachers to instruct effectively and for students to engage in learning. 

Positive and effective discipline incorporates Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), restorative practices, and other evidence-based interventions to help resolve conflict, restore relationships, and teach alternatives. These approaches focus on effectively intervening, addressing the cause of student behavior, and teaching alternatives for student behavior as appropriate instead of focusing on discipline.  

What can schools do to provide alternatives to discipline?

The National Association for School Psychologists provides a Framework for Effective School Discipline and states positive school discipline is a culture and a way of operating. The transition towards alternative discipline may require additional resources and time for adjustment to keep all students safe and create a supportive and equitable culture. The following are examples of what schools can do to get started.  

  • Maintain a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to provide alternatives to discipline by including school counselors, school administrators, teachers, intervention specialists, school-employed mental health professionals, and other specialized instructional support personnel.  
  • Teach appropriate behavior and coping skills.  
  • Reinforce prosocial behaviors and promote school safety.
  • Keep students in the classroom and improve their engagement in the learning environment. 

Alternatives to Discipline Approaches

Taking a proactive approach to school climate and discipline can reduce disciplinary infractions, increase time for teaching and learning, and improve academic outcomes. Schools may already be beginning to implement practices in classrooms and social-academic groups to help students reflect, learn, and restore relationships. The outcome of these approaches can have significant positive effects on school culture and climate, and free up resources to focus on the students who need additional services and supports. 

Classroom management  

A well-managed classroom supports students social and academic development. The Framework for Effective School Discipline shares that well managed classrooms anticipate the needs of the student and reinforce positive behavior expectations rather than punish them for their choices. When students understand the boundaries of a safe and productive classroom, the teacher can build stronger relationships and gain students’ respect. The following are classroom management practices to maintain a safe and productive classroom: 

  • Establish clear behavior expectations, rules, and discipline with student input. 
  • Incorporate family involvement. 
  • Teach, model, practice, and reinforce positive behaviors. 
  • Employ culturally responsive practices that focus on student success and self-esteem. 
  • Enforce behavioral expectations with consistency, fairness, and calmness.  
  • Embed principles of school wide initiatives into the classroom to focus on a culture of community and restoring relationships. 
  • Teach healthy coping skills and alternatives to aggressive behavior. 
  • Trauma-Informed Practices keep students and staff feeling safe and supported where the impact of trauma on teaching and learning is addressed. 

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) 

Alternatives to discipline include Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a proactive approach by teaching student behavior expectations. School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is one of the most encompassing and one of the most effective frameworks in terms of concrete, measurable improvements in both behavior and academic outcomes. 

Restorative Practices 

Restorative Practices are a school-wide resolution model based in community and belonging. Restorative practices programming brings together all parties affected by a student’s actions to discuss the situation and next steps to repair the relationship. This discussion can include the student responsible for the action, victims, teachers, and family of both students, and school administrators. 

Interventions After Disciplinary Infraction 

Interventions that take place after the disciplinary infraction has occurred must integrate supports designed to prevent the behavior from reoccurring and to strengthen, or at least preserve, the student’s bond to the school community.   

Students can be given the opportunity to reflect on any wrongdoing, make amends, and develop strategies for improving behavior in the future. Options for how this could be done include:  

  • Reflective conversations and projects; 
  • Conflict resoloution;
  • Responsible thinking classrooms;  
  • Check In and Check Out; 
  • Behavioral management plans; 
  • Restitution;  
  • Counseling; and 
  • Community service. 

Transition Planning When Using Discipline 

Students who miss class because they are suspended in- or out-of-school should be given the supports necessary when rejoining their classmates. It is recommended students meet with a administrator or counselor to talk about a reentry and safety plan back into the school.  

Regular meetings with the student, parents, teachers and administrators will create opportunities to for open communication and strengthen relationships. Educators have an opportunity to set students up for success when they collaborate with the student and family on a plan for success and anticipate a positive outcome for the student.  

Resources  

 

Last Modified: 9/13/2024 11:40:15 AM