Positive Behavior Supports in Exclusionary Schools: A Practical Approach Based on What We Know.

Abstract

Policy makers, community members, parents, and school administrators all recognize that the safety of our public schools is of the utmost importance (Barnoski, 2001; Snell, 2005). Highly publicized incidents of shootings at our nation’s schools have raised public awareness of the need for safe schools and led to an outcry for reform (Leone, Mayer, Malmgren, & Meisel, 2000). Although incidents of extreme violence at schools should not be ignored, they do not accurately represent the degree of safety in U.S. schools. In reality, incidents of violence at schools have steadily decreased over the past 15 years, few schools are considered to be persistently dangerous under federal guidelines, and for many students schools are significantly safer than the neighborhoods in which they live (Snell; Leone et al.). Despite the increasing safety of public schools, disruptive behavior and school violence are still pressing issues. The Juvenile Offenders and Victims: National Report (Snyder & Sickmund, 2006) describes continuing concerns with violence in schools. For instance, alarming percentages of students reported carrying weapons (6.1%) or threatened with a weapon (9.2%) at school. Less severe forms of school violence are also problematic. For example, in a survey conducted in Washington State, 78% of elementary school teachers, 81% of middle school teachers, and 66% of high school teachers indicated that decreasing disruptive behavior was one of the top three priorities at their schools (Barnoski, 2001). Moreover, disruptive behaviors were cited as having a significantly negative impact on students’ ability to learn. Low-severity violent behaviors may include classroom disruptions, noncompliance, teasing and bullying, theft, property damage, and fighting. Of these, bullying is the most prevalent (Whitted & Dupper, 2005). According to Bowman (2001), 30% of students in grades 6 through 10 reported bullying others, being bullied, or both. According to Snell (2005), 29% of schools report bullying to be a serious problem. Also, approximately one-third of students reported being involved in fights or having property stolen or vandalized while at school (Snyder & Sickmund, 2006). These disruptive behaviors negatively affect student learning (Barnoski). To address the harmful impact of problem behaviors, national legislation has emphasized the importance of school safety and behavioral interventions. The No Child Left VOLUME 41 NUMBER 1 SEPTEMBER 2008