A New Model of School Discipline: Engaging Students and Preventing Behavior Problems

by David R. Dupper

Overview

Mounting evidence shows that zero-tolerance policies, suspensions, and restrictive security policies fail to improve school safety and student behaviors, and are linked with increased risk of dropping out. Minority students are suspended at disproportionate rates, and over a million cases of corporal punishment are reported each year. Against this dismal backdrop, David Dupper presents a transformative new model of school discipline that is preventive, proactive, and relationship-based.

Unlike traditional punitive and exclusionary practices, the model developed in this Workshop volume focuses on enhancing students' connection to school through building relationships and bolstering social skills. Drawing on the latest research about what works, and what doesn't, this highly practical guide catalogs an array of proven and promising practices designed to engage, instead of exclude, students. Rather than illustrate a one-size-fits-all approach, it guides practitioners and administrators in identifying their school's unique needs and selecting appropriate strategies for use at the universal, targeted, and remedial levels. A five-step strategic planning model helps schools transition toward a holistic, relationship-based approach to discipline.

Boxes, bullets, evidence summaries, and practice tips make this an accessible, forward-thinking resource for school personnel seeking to engage students and reduce behavior problems in the most effective, pragmatic, and cost-efficient manner possible.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195378078
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	03/25/2010
Series:	SSWAA Workshop Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

David R. Dupper, PhD, is Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Tennessee.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Chapter 1 Current Disciplinary Practices: An Overview 3

Chapter 2 How Did We Get Here? A Brief History of Discipline in U.S. Public Schools 15

Chapter 3 A New Paradigm: A Relationship-Based, Preventive Model of Discipline 25

Chapter 4 Best Practices in Reducing or Preventing Student Behavior Problems: Multitiered Programs and Strategies 35

Chapter 5 The Hard Part: Making Organizational Changes in Schools 59

References 73

Index 89