Baltimore Conference Call with Director of Student Services

Transcription

1 Baltimre Cnference Call with Directr f Student Services ,000 students 85% FRL Cntent f Cde Had 26,000 suspensins per year --- had a 24% drp in Year 1 after Cde changed Suspensin nw used as last resrt Interventins and cnsequences must make sense fr kids current circumstances, histry f behavir, develpmental level, etc. Necessary t change the Cde t shift staff perspectives n student behavir What are we ding t change hearts and minds? What can I d fr yu t help yu be successful? VS. What can I d t yu? Suspensin seen as a last resrt Practices Returned discretin t principals except in cases mandated by law There are incnsistencies whether yu allw discretin r nt Resurces Schls fr kids wh are expelled PD must g hand in hand with Cde changes Cde f Cnduct Trauma Imprtance f student vice Office f Suspensin Services Help principals apply the Cde Custmer service rientatin Daily review f suspensin data Accuntability with schls regarding implementatin f Cde Schl-based Mental Health Prgrams 196 prgrams in schls 109 cmmunity prviders

2 NYC Cnference Call with Directr f Safety & Yuth Develpment millin students Cntent f Cde Have experienced a 25% reductin in suspensins but disprprtinality remains N students are suspended withut services (in-schl r alternative learning centers) Interventins and cnsequences must be selected based n factrs such as student s behavir histry and patterns, age f child, etc. Necessary t change the Cde t shift staff perspectives n student behavir Changed mindset frm gtcha t teaching prscial behavir Practices Intentinally put decisins in hands f principals Imprtant t establish parameters but they d nt have decisin criteria Philsphy is suggest and supprt vs. mandate Principal Suspensins up t 5 days --- must be in-schl suspensins Superintendent Suspensins up t 1 year ---students g t Alternative Learning Centers Mst are 6-10 days Next mst frequent is days (up t 1 semester) N Superintendent Suspensins fr insubrdinatin Resurces Alternative Learning Centers PD must g hand in hand with Cde changes Cde f Cnduct Restrative Justice Life Space Crisis Interventin Functinal Behavir Analysis (FBA) and Behavir Interventin Plan (BIP) Directr f Suspensins fr Each Brugh Accuntability with schls regarding implementatin f Cde

3 SUMMARY OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND AND NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK The cre questins asked f representatives f the Baltimre and New Yrk City schl districts were the same, and the cnversatins were held with senir administratrs with knwledge abut Cdes f Cnduct in their respective districts. BALTIMORE SUMMARY - The cnversatin was held with Ms. Karen E. Webber-Ndur and sme f the key cmments made by Ms. Ndur included the fllwing: 1. Tw primary bjectives mtivated Baltimre s adptin f their current Cde. The Cdes current frmat was adpted in 2007 and the driving bjectives were: (a) t change the culture f the district regarding student discipline, (i.e., mving away frm zer tlerance ), and (b) t reduce the number f ut f schl suspensins. Ms. Ndur indicated that bth bjectives have been met with varying degrees f success. 2. Pverty and vilence were majr prblems afflicting the Baltimre schl district, with Eighty-five percent f the students receiving free r reduced lunch. 3. Because f the vilence many students came t schl carrying knives and ther weapns. 4. If a student is expelled frm the Baltimre district, that student still receives educatinal services, bth regular and special educatin students, while expelled. 5. Training is prvided t district Principals regarding the Cde, its intended interpretatin and applicatin, and the develpment f best practices regarding student discipline, hwever, the training typically ccurs either befre r after schl, and Principal attendance is discretinary. 6. Suspensin data fr the district schls is mnitred n a daily basis and when prblems are identified, the Principal is cntacted by the mnitr t discuss situatins where district practice des nt appear t have been adhered t. 7. Mental health issues were identified as a majr surce f the causatin f student miscnduct and the district has decided t incrprate schl staff, with mental health training, t assess students in an effrt t identify and address rt causes f student miscnduct that is assciated with mental health issues. NEW YORK CITY SUMMARY The cnversatin was held with Ms. Lis Herrera and sme f the key cmments made by Ms. Hererra included the fllwing: 1. The New Yrk City Schl District is under the cntrl f the Mayr f New Yrk City and the Chancellr f the district. There has been n Bard f Educatin t establish the plicies fr the district fr the past twelve years under Mayr Blmberg. 2. The New Yrk City district is experiencing majr prblems with disprprtinality. The district has partnered with New Yrk University t find ways t effectively address the disprprtinality prblem. 3. The New Yrk City district revised their Cde and practices with the intent f reducing the number f suspensins. With the revisins, suspensins were reduced apprximately

4 twenty-five percent (25%), hwever, the issue f disprprtinality remains amng thse suspended. 4. When students are suspended, fr five days r less, they serve their suspensin in their hme schl. If the suspensin last mre than five days, the student gets sent t an alternative learning center and may be in the alternative learning center fr up t ne year. Suspensins typically fall int the fllwing categries: 1-5 days, 6-10 days, days, r ne year. 5. The district s apprach t discipline has evlved frm catching and punishing miscnduct t teaching students pr-scial skills t avid miscnduct. 6. The district is frequently targeted by advcacy grups lcated within the cmmunity wh are seeking mre effective and successful appraches t address and eliminate the issues identified by advcacy grups (i.e., disprprtinality in suspensins, achievement gap issues, etc.) PERSONAL COMMENTS BASED UPON NEW YORK CITY & BALTIMORE REPRESENTATIVE CONVERSATIONS 1. Bth districts experienced disprprtinality with regard t suspensins and expulsins prir t the adptin f their new Cdes, and that was part f the mtivatin fr revising their Cdes. After implementatin f the revised Cdes, tw key utcmes were identified: (a) the number f suspensins and/r days f ut f schl due t suspensins were reduced; and (b) the disprprtinality that existed prir t the adptin f the new Cdes remained after the implementatin f the new Cdes. 2. Given that training f Principals in bth districts as t hw t interpret and apply their respective Cdes is discretinary in Baltimre and New Yrk City, it is lgical t cnclude that there is incnsistency amng the Principals as t hw they actually interpret and apply the Cde. 3. I am impressed by the fact that in bth districts, if a student is expelled r placed in a lng term alternative learning center the student, regardless f whether he/she is a regular r special educatin student, cntinues t receive educatinal services. This is an apprach that I believe the MMSD shuld adpt fr all expelled students. The prgrammatic cntent fr a MMSD pst expulsin schl culd prvide, in additin t a traditinal educatinal curriculum, credit recvery services, training f pr-scial skills, prvide mental health assessments and services fr students, prvide fr parental invlvement in their child s educatin and schl as a cnditin fr the pupil s placement int the pstexpulsin schl, and ther things t address the prblems experienced by the students. 4. Bth Baltimre and New Yrk City schl districts are very different frm Madisn in terms f the number f students served (84,000 in Baltimre in ) and (1,100,000) in New Yrk City in ); the number f schls in their districts (204 in Baltimre in ) and (ver 1700 in New Yrk City in ); and the ethnic cmpsitin f their student bdies (Baltimre - unknwn) and (New Yrk City 40% Hispanic/Latin, African American 30%, Nn-Hispanic Whites 14% and Asian 15%) and these factrs shuld be cnsidered when the Bard makes its decisins abut adpting any f the appraches utilized in Baltimre r New Yrk City. 5. I think the apprach by the New Yrk City district t get New Yrk University invlved in addressing the disprprtinality issues within the district is smething that the

5 MMSD shuld cnsider with UW. Dr. Glria Ladsn-Billings, and sme f her clleagues at the UW Schl f Educatin are resurces that are within ur cmmunity wh are natinally recgnized experts dealing with varius educatinal issues, such as achievement gaps, disprprtinality, parental invlvement in their child s educatin, etc. This resurce shuld be tapped int and a partnership develped. 6. Once adpted, the MMSD shuld train ur Principals, Assistant Principals, Deans f Students, Educatinal Resurce Officers, and Security Assistants, regarding hw t interpret and apply the Cde. In additin, the training shuld include discussin fcused upn identifying best practices arund the tpics f student behavir and discipline. This training shuld be mandatry and included as part f the prfessinal develpment f thse trained. 7. The district shuld establish a quality cntrl unit that reviews daily what is ging n in each schl relative t suspensins, including bth in and ut f schl suspensins, expulsin recmmendatins, hw behavir is being cded in IC, etc. With all staff being aware f the quality cntrl unit and its missin, I believe staff will be mre assiduus in cnsistently interpreting and applying the Cde.