Reframing Student Behavior

Abstract

This chapter discusses the downfalls of schools' overreliance on exclusionary discipline practices and law enforcement, what the literature says about the alternatives, and how rural schools can leverage their unique strengths to incorporate best practices in ways that work for their communities. Too often students are removed from where learning, including the learning of replacement behaviors, is most likely to occur. Beyond simply the missed opportunities that come from missing days of school, data indicate that students who get suspended or expelled are also almost three times as likely to be in contact with the juvenile justice system in the next school year. This involvement with the juvenile justice system often evolves into involvement with the adult correctional system and lower levels of employment and post-secondary attainment. Teachers and administrators must find a balance between ensuring a safe classroom for all students, while also making sure that even students with behavior concerns have the supports they need to stay in school.