Problem:
Education is a child’s right, not a reward for good behavior. Relying on suspension and expulsion as the only means of discipline, often denies children’s the right to an education. The harsh approach to discipline combined with the aggressive policing in schools; pushes youth form the classroom into the criminal justice system. According to the State Department of Education, in 2008 more
than 370,000 students were suspended. In all, Georgia students lost more than 1.8 million days of instruction due to suspensions. Research has shown the more students spend out of the classroom, the greater the chances the student will fail to complete the school year or drop out altogether. Walter Haney, a professor of education at Boston College wrote, “If you figure 1.8 million lost days and divide by 180 days (the maximum number of days a student is schedule to attend), that is the equivalent of 10,000 students being out of school the whole year. What an incredible waste.”
Promise:
Soulstice Inc. provide schools with several comprehensive and behavioral modification programs that address several of the most pressing issues in urban public schools: attendance, dropout prevention, parent involvement, and academic remediation. The programs reduce the number of suspensions by interrupting developing patterns of negative behavior and engages students in the decision making process while keeping the student in school. The programs start by helping the student develop a more positive view of themselves, while fostering an understanding that they have a voice and influence in solving problems. The programs emphasize concepts such as accountability, positive peer influence, involvement, and empowerment. Plan:
Accountability Creates Excellence (A.C.E.) programs provide the school alternatives to the traditional disciplinary procedures. The programs are divided into three categories; peer-mentorship, youth-adult partnerships, and a family driven approach. Peer Mentorship:
Peer Panel: a restorative justice program that trains a group of students to serve on a panel and assign sanctions to those students who have committed nonviolent offenses within the school. The high school model trains 11th graders to mentor the 9th graders and the middle school model trains 8th graders to mentor 6th graders. The process helps to develop positive attitudes, promotes educational success by providing peer driven sanctions. Students that have committed the offense have opportunity to take responsibility as well as be held accountable for their actions by their peers. Studies have shown that programs that give students social rewards such as leadership opportunities and chances to meet other students in ways that improve their social status can channel adolescents’ natural inclinations positively. Students understand better than adults which sanctions will deter negative behavior. Youth-Adult Partnership:
Young Litigators: Students in the 10th or 7th grade who commit school offenses will have their case heard through the Young Litigators program. Students are trained as prosecutors, defense attorneys, bailiffs, court clerks, and jurors. There is a volunteer attorney that sits on the bench. The only prerequisite for a student to have their case heard, they must admit their quilt. The students are assigned an attorney. The attorneys prepare their opening and closing statements. Each side has the opportunity to ask the defendant a series of questions. The judge can also ask questions. This provides a venue for the defendant to have a voice. The jury decides the sanction (s) for the offense. Family Driven Approach:
Success Court: Students that have three or more unexcused absents are required along with a parent or guardian to attend an informal hearing. The program does not punish but provides coordinated access to services in order to improve attendance yet hold the youth and their families accountable for the unexcused absents. Academic Achievement Program (AAP): The program applies a relative new judicial approach to addressing students’ academic challenges. Those students, who are not meeting the credit requirements needed to be promoted, are required along with their parents to attend an informal hearing. The student and parent together fill out an academic contract setting goals on how to meet the requirements. The contract has the following sections; a place where the students must explain why they are not meeting the requirement, what are their long term goals, and what are their short term goal and how do they plan on improving their grades. Parents are required to sign the contract as well. Proof:
Mr. Rob Rhode, director of the Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice shared with the organization the out of school suspension data for the schools the program was implemented. The program started in 2008 under the grant. The grant ended in 2010. During the two years, the suspension rate greatly reduced. SELECTED APS HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL REPORTED OSS RATES*
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
South Atlanta Law & Social Justice 43. 8 8.8 6.5 20.8 26.3
Kennedy MS 11.0 6.5 5.9 11.6 39.6
___________________________
*Percentage of students receiving at least one out of school suspension of any duration during the school year. Source: Georgia Discipline Data Compilation, Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, 2013. Partners
Soulstice Inc. recruited and trained volunteers from; Georgia State Law School, Emory Law School, John Marshall Law School, and several law firms. We partnered with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office who received a grant from W**d and Seed to implement the program. Soulstice Inc. partnered with the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office, Clayton County Probation Officers and the Clayton County School district to pilot the program in a high school. The program has received in kind support from several corporations
Potential
One suspension doubles the risk of dropping out of school from 16% to 32%. Harsh discipline policies increase the number of young people who are disengaged from school, which has damaging academic consequences and long term economic and societal costs. initiatives provide schools with proactive strategies that include building the capacity of students and parents to promote greater academic achievement.
