Across the country, high schools have found that their ninth-grade students have the highest rates of truancy, discipline referrals, failures, and retentions. A school's worst data points are usually found among freshmen. For this reason, proactive schools seek strategies for transitioning freshmen into high school. An effective freshman…

For administrators at the secondary level, not many school days go according to plan or script, but few things are more disruptive than a student threat of violence. When threats are made--or if there is a rumor of a serious student threat--it can take both time and resources to investigate, interview, and analyze multiple pieces of information in…

Reactive and exclusionary approaches to discipline are common in secondary schools but do not improve behavior or ensure safety. In this article, the author highlights two promising models that schools can combine to improve climate and discipline for all students. The combined models of PBS (positive behavior support) and RTI (response to…

The overrepresentation of the Black and Hispanic subgroups in suspension data is a national problem and a troubling issue for schools and school systems across the United States. In Maryland, an analysis of student suspensions by school districts for the 2006-2007 school year revealed disproportionality issues. In 23 of the 24 jurisdictions,…

The public school administrator is responsible for protecting student expression while maintaining the integrity of the school disciplinary practices. When dealing with violent writing by students, school administrators should be aware of governing legal principles as well as sound educational practices. A review of legal and educational…

This article discusses ways on how to address the problem of sexual harassment in schools. Sexual harassment--simply defined as any unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior--is a sensitive topic. Merely providing students, parents, and staff members with information about the school's sexual harassment policy is insufficient; schools must take…

When the National Commission on Excellence in Education published "A Nation at Risk" (1983) in response to the perception that the U.S. public education system was failing to help students succeed, it gave policymakers the catalyst to introduce legislative and regulatory reforms that were designed to increase student achievement. Through such…

Many years ago when the author assumed the role of assistant principal for school climate, discipline, and attendance, he inherited many school policies and guidelines that were outdated, unfair, and without merit in the current school climate. Because the school conduct code had not been revised since the school opened in 1960, many of the…

Step Nine focuses on establishing and maintaining a safe, secure, learning environment. The classroom focus arrests early unacceptable behaviors, identifies habitual rule-breakers, and preserves environmental integrity for self-disciplined learners. Chief elements are simplicity, consistency, communication, parental involvement, and progressive…

Respect. Responsibility. Resourcefulness. These three simple words embody the culture and mission of Duncan Polytechnical High School in Fresno, California. The terms are everywhere: They are painted on corridor walls, printed on posters mounted in every room, emblazoned on surfaces in the cafeteria, and easily verbalized by all of the students…

Proof of academic performance often serves as the litmus test for maintaining instructional practices and programs. Just as the national focus on academic improvement has gained momentum, so too has another movement calling for character education. Educators find themselves caught in the middle, questioning whether character education is just…