Strategies to Prevent School Suspension And Improve Student Behavior

The following list is in random order:

1. Peer Mediation
2. Parent / Guardian and Student / Teacher Conference
3. Behavior Contract
4. Daily Individual Behavior Plan
5. Functional Behavioral Assessment
6. Classroom Observation
7. Teacher Support in Assertive Discipline / Classroom Management
8. Modify Academics to Promote Success
9. After School Detention, Saturday Detention, Lunch Detention
10. School-based Community Service
11. Restitution
12. Loss of Privileges
13. Community Agency Programs and Support
14. Removal from Extracurricular Activities
15. One-on-one Conference with Student
16. Temporary Removal from Class or Classes
17. Change of Teacher / Modify Schedule
18. Peer Helpers
19. In-school Suspension  (with educational programming designed to meet the behavioral and academic needs of the student)
20. Referral to School Counselor, Nurse, Psychologist or Pupil Personnel Worker
21. Consider Specific Behavior Management Plan to Include Scheduled Time-outs in Student Discipline Center (SDC), Behavior Management Center (BMC), or Interim Alternative Education Classroom (IAEC), as appropriate
22. Form a School-wide Discipline / Behavior Supports / Climate Committee to Individualize Specific Interventions and Supports
23. Pre-arranged Areas for Student Initiated Time-out or Cooling-off
24. Parent Attend Classes with Student – Period of Time Established by Principal or Designee
25. Consider Classroom Environmental Modifications
26. Anger Management / Problem Solving Classes
27. Second Step Violence Prevention Curriculum
28. Specific Social Skills / Character Education Training
29. Smaller Classes
30. Teach (positive and negative examples, modeling, and practice) Expected Behaviors in Target Contexts (hallways, cafeteria, bus, etc.)
31. After School Programs with a Variety of Choices
32. Community Based Mentoring
33. Staff / Teacher / Coach Mentor or Community Volunteer
34. Tutoring Services
35. Consider Interventions in Pre-PST Binder
36. Referral to Pupil Services Team


(Some information taken from Maryland Guidelines for A State Code of Discipline, Maryland State Department of Education, January 1997.)

The most effective school-based responses educators can make to school violence include:   social skills training, academic success, and behavioral interventions (Gottfredson, 1997; Lipsey, 1991, 1992; Lipsey & Wilson, 1993; Tolan & Guerra, 1994).