For Immediate Release December 15, 2016 or thereafter
DISTRICT REVIEWS FIRST SEMESTER DISCIPLINE DATA
A community-driven revision of the Student Code of Conduct has placed more decision-making power and options in the hands of school principals, a change that’s deterring unwanted behaviors while increasing the hours of instructional time provided directly to student offenders.
A steering committee consisting of 21 elementary, middle and high school administrators and teachers, parents and community members, as well as representatives from the District’s Transportation, Legal and Operations & Student Services departments worked together utilizing stakeholder input to develop a comprehensive framework that shares the values of the school district and community at large and provides clear guidance for school administrators in addressing student incidents with the intent of increasing consistency throughout the district. The revised Code of Conduct was unanimously approved by the school board and implemented this year.
The comprehensive Code of Conduct is separated by level (elementary, middle and high) and provides clarity in regards to Dress Code, Attendance/Tardiness, Bullying, Transportation and the Appeals Process, a move from Tribunal to a Hearing Officer format.
“We felt a Hearing Officer format was well-suited for a more strategic, rehabilitative approach to student discipline in which misconduct among our young people would be managed in school when possible and serve as a learning opportunity that fosters individual growth through support services,” Chief Officer of Operations and Student Services Dr. Shawn Foster commented.
Former Leavelle McCampbell Principal and long-time Aiken County Public Schools teacher and administrator Mr. Johnny Spears serves as the District’s Hearing Officer. Spears meets with individual students and families to develop a comprehensive understanding of the student’s behavior and needs, coordinate support services and develop and monitor plans for reentry into the school system, when possible.
Complementing the revised code and increased emphasis on positive youth development is the District-wide utilization of Alternative Behavior Educator (or ABE), an online system for tracking student violations that’s automated and educational in nature. Classroom teachers utilize ABE to enter discipline infractions, track behavior/interventions, educate students through an on-line, behavior-specific teaching platform, and submit immediate requests for administrative support to redirect behavior.
Overall “write ups” from teachers seeking administrative support for classroom behavioral issues have decreased. Along with that, the total number of instructional hours missed due to In-School and Out-of-School Suspensions and Expulsions has also declined, saving 19,908 hours “seat time” through November 2016 of valuable direct instruction (as compared to the same time period in 2015).
The number of In-School Suspension (ISS) days for fall 2016 total 1,395.5 (9,768.5 hours) and Out-of-School Suspensions (OSS) days amount to 1,448.5 (10,139.5 hours). Those totals through November 2015 were 1,843 days (12,901 hours) ISS and 1,741 days (12,187 hours) OSS.
In November of this year, 68 students were placed at the Center for Innovative Learning at Pinecrest (CIL) by direct Principal referral; 67 were sent to CIL by Tribunal in November 2015. Thirteen students were expelled in November 2015. There were three expulsion hearings this November, no expulsions were upheld; one student returned to school with a behavior contract and two were placed at CIL.
In years past, student fights have been the number one disciplinary infraction and greatest cause of disruption in our schools.
“As a former principal, I can certainly attest to both the difficulty in managing this situation in schools and also to the detrimental impact that students being arrested for minor physical altercations had on the lives of our young people,” Mr. Spears, Hearing Officer, commented. “I’m proud of the work our schools have done to redirect behavior, teach alternatives and change our collective culture of discipline.”
The total fights for first semester (elementary, middle, high schools and alternative school) this year total 113, a marked decrease from last year’s (fall 2015) total of 187 and fall 2014’s of 144. While the total number of fights across all high schools is up slightly (54 for this fall, compared to 49 in fall 2015), the numbers for middle and elementary schools, 48 and 10, respectively, has been more than cut in half from 2015’s first semester totals of 109 and 25. Additionally, the number of fights at CIL have decreased from four last fall to one first semester this year.
“As we near the end of first semester and enter the holiday season, we wanted to take a moment to share this success and thank our community for coming together to create a discipline code reflective of our values and shared belief that each student, regardless of his or her background and even their mistakes, deserves the opportunity to learn and to succeed,” Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford stated.
ACPSD Communications Department
DistrictReviewsFirstSemesterDiscipline