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 In-school suspension is not the answer 
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Location: Kernersville Middle School
Cedrick's poem has a special line: "These kids are crying out for attention. The answer is not always found in detention."

We've been told that ISS is another and lesser form of a jail sentence of sorts. What are some creative ways available to us as principals that can serve in the same way? Perhaps there is an answer in staff development? I send very few students to ISS and sometimes I just wonder if the kids need a time out for someone to listen to them, to give them rest, or to just give them space away from something that's bugging them in classes.

I have a parent who has said that her child cannot go to ISS to be with the teachers in there. Evidently, the teachers are sympathetic to the child and the parent feels like their power is being undermined. So what do you think can be done now?


Sat Feb 10, 2007 5:02 pm
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In my experience from the administrative side, ISS does serve a useful purpose. If a student is disrupting a class in such a manner that the teacher is unable to instruct the other students, ISS is a place for that student for the short term. I personally find that what is more effective is what I do in combination with ISS. Before we send a student there, we often discuss their behavior in my office. I like to start out with the student identifying why he or she is in my office. Once they admit there is problem, I ask them what would be a solution to that problem. High school students can always give me an excellent solution to the problem. I send them to ISS because it is truly a time out for both the student and the teacher. Let's face it, there is no magical method or staff development that is going to give us the keys to making students behave in acceptable ways. ISS is only one of the necessary tools to bring about that behavioral change. If ISS is done correctly it can be effective.

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Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:12 pm
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I agree with you John in essence that ISS CAN be useful. I think that one of the key elements is the program itself. Does it have someone who takes their job seriously, getting work, returning work, focusing on improving that student's behavior or is there someone in there babysitting. I think that this makes the difference.

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Amy Scronce


Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:46 pm
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My high school has dropped the ISS program. I feel that this was a huge mistake. The reason why we dropped it was, as Amy hinted to, that the teacher in charge was more concerned with playing games online and hoping the students like him than being a teacher. To be a success the teacher must make the students engage in work and use the time to better themselves. Assignements must be turned in by teachers on time and the student must be held accountable. This does provide a break for the teacher and student from each other.

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Tim Hoffman


Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:13 pm
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In our school we have transformed ISS into what we refer to as our CARE (Center for Academics, Reflection, and Education) center. Our staff member who is in charge of this center collaborates with classroom teachers to be sure the content from the classroom time missed is covered. The reflection piece is required before a student can reenter the regular classroom. This includes answering some questions that are reflective in nature and following up with a session with our guidance counselor. It seems to work for us.

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Neil Atkins


Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:36 pm
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Amy, you are correct. You do need a person running ISS who takes the job seriously. I have also found as administrator, I have to take the time to make sure students are in ISS when assigned, and reschedule when they are absent. The program has to be operated consistently for every one. Neil, I like the reflection idea. Next year I plan to implement a reflection component as well. I would like students to identify the problem and tell me how they are going to solve it.

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Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:51 pm
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Neil, I like your school's idea regarding CARE...especially the reflection-Are you middle or high school? Do you feel this is effective, meaning, do you have a lot of 1 timers in CARE (nonrepeaters...as of now)?

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Leigh Anne Frye


Thu Feb 15, 2007 12:27 pm
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Neil, I too am impressed. I'd love to hear more about the concept. Sounds like some actual teaching/learning is going on which is crucial. I think that ISS is a necessity for short term breaks from the classroom environment ( for teacher, fellowclassmates and the student involved.) However, Katherine is right, it is not the answer for repeat offenders just crying out for attention. We need about 10 fulltime social workers at each school to attend to the real needs of these students!

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Rosanna Whisnant


Thu Feb 15, 2007 1:43 pm
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At the secondary levels, I believe ISS can be a positive thing if it is not overused. As Amy says, however, it is necessary to have a supervising adult who takes their assignment seriously and attempts to make a difference for the children, and does not see the job as a babysitting role. I would be interested to know how many of the supervising adults in ISS in our various schools are actually certified educators. In my experience, they have mostly been classified teachers' assistants; wouldn't it be great if they were all led by a certified teacher? Maybe this is a pie-in-the-sky idea.

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Logan McGuire


Thu Feb 15, 2007 2:54 pm
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We are really lucky at our school, because of the person we have in charge of our ISS program. Our person in charge is a non-certified teaching assistant who has renamed ISS to ICU for obvious reasons. She is someone who really cares and wants what is best for the students. She is appropriately strong and firm as the situations dictate. We have now incorporated a middle school version of night school for our chronic classroom disrupters or students that would be suspended out-of-school for lengthy intervals. The night school takes place during the day due to the fact that none of our middle schoolers have their driver’s license and parents do not always have transportation. We are using a combination of NovaNet, StudyIsland, ClassScape and Character Educationas the instructional program withinput from certified instructors. Thus far our results have been positive. I think we can attribute most of our success however to the person who is operating our ICU program.

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Stephanie Williams


Thu Feb 15, 2007 6:39 pm
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We do a reflective piece at my school as well. Except at our school it is a "think sheet" that the student must complete before I even talk with them in my office. It does several things: It makes them really think about why they are in the office and how they can avoid the office in the future, it discourages them from viewing my office as an escape (most students don't want to have to write and/or acknowledge what they did wrong, and it gives the teacher some insight as to the function of the behavior. Once they complete the "think sheet" I send them on to ISS....

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Heath Belcher


Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:53 pm
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Tim,
What types of interventions do you use at your school if there is no ISS?

Fortunately, we have an excellent person in place for what we call behavior lab. She talks with children about inappropriate behaviors and how to change their thinking so that they can become a better citizen in our school community. We have just held a training for our teachers on the "restitution" model of discipline by Diane Gossen. The core principal for this program is that "young people will make mistakes" as all people do, so what we need to do is focus on how to correct the mistake and handle the situation properly in the future. It teaches kids to think through their responses to tense situations.

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Amy Hord


Fri Feb 16, 2007 3:50 pm
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I think there is no one model of how in-school suspension that works. We know what works for one student will not work for another. For example, I have one student who ISS is a strong deterrent. He hates the place. I have checked with his teacher about his classroom behavior since his assignment there, and she says he is wonderful. In conversations with the student, he says he never wants to be in that room. ISS changed his behavior so it worked. Of course there are others that do not feel the same way. Getting them to reflect on what they did wrong is important, and getting them to think about how to solve the issue is important too. I think for ISS to be successful it has to have a coordinator who takes the job seriously. He has to be compassionate toward the kids, but also firm in his demands. It can't be a prison, but it can't be a soft-cushiony place where everything is lovely. It has to serve as true means of getting a student to acknowledge that his behavior was wrong, and getting that student to find a way to solve the problem before more action has to be taken.

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Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:41 pm
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I also think the person in charge is a key factor in determining the success of ISS. I can't imagine living without the program. I also would like to know what Neil does instead. Sometimes I think the teacher is the one who needs the ISS. A few send students at the drop of a hat without using interventions first and without contacting a parent. ISS is their only classroom management tool. The conversation I have with those teachers may not make them happy, but it helps them understand the program.

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Jackie Shaw


Sun Feb 18, 2007 2:49 pm
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I think you are right John in that ISS will not work for every child. Behavior management has to meet the behavioral needs of the student just as academic strategies have to meet the educational needs of the student. But it is nice to have our behavior lab (ISS) as a resource.

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Amy Hord


Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:09 pm
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Jackie,
I can really relate to your comment about some teachers who need to be in ISS. Of course, if a teacher comes to me, I support them at that point. But there are times that I have gone back to discuss other alternatives with them. I usually ask myself "How would I have dealt with this situation as a classroom teacher." There have been some things brought to me that should have been addressed by the teacher in the classroom.

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Amy Hord


Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:12 pm
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[quote="Tim Hoffman"]My high school has dropped the ISS program. I feel that this was a huge mistake. The reason why we dropped it was, as Amy hinted to, that the teacher in charge was more concerned with playing games online quote]
Tim, why didn't your school just replace the teacher instead of doing away with the program. So does everyone just go directly to OSS instead since you no longer have ISS? I'm surprised teachers haven't fought your school over this.. what is the faculty concensus?
I personally think kids need to be in school whenever possible, you send them home on "vacation" and they aren't going to get caught up and do what they need to for school.

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Kami McKay


Wed Feb 21, 2007 12:15 pm
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Post ISS
ISS is a good option if you can continue with an education. In my opinion most ISS situations are a way to lower OSS and make the school look better on paper. If it becomes kid prison or a dumping ground then you must ask yourself is this staffing resource being utilized appropriately or will some other option work better?

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Jeremiah McCluney


Wed Feb 21, 2007 1:12 pm
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ISS can be effective if the right personnel is in place. OSS is a vacation and many students WANT OSS. That's one reason BATS (Burke Alternative To Suspension) was created. They are assigned "OSS" but they must work during those days. There are several businesses that collaborate with the school system to make BATS work. For instance - a student may be assigned to a nursing home for 5 days. During that time, the student works with the personnel in taking care of the patients (it may be working in the kitchen or with the custodians). There is a certain amount of time that is specifically set apart for the student to work on school assignments. The BATS coordinator picks up the student's assignments from school and delivers them to the student at the work site. The assignments are due when the child returns to school. All BATS days are coded in the computer to where it does not count against them for attendance issues. Each year, the number of repeaters decreases!!!

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Lisa Fortenberry


Wed Feb 21, 2007 2:22 pm
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Lisa, that BATS program sounds good. I would add that ISS is only as effective as the efforts of the administration to support it too. Making sure students attend detention when they are supposed is a must. Consistency is the secret.

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Wed Feb 21, 2007 2:24 pm
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