1. Listening to Students to Disrupt the School to Prison Pipeline
Pedro A. Noguera
Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, UCLA

2. Schools Are Implicated in the Pipeline to Prison
School failure contributes to delinquency
Increased reliance on police has contributed to criminalization
Drop outs and vulnerable youth more likely to end up in criminal justice system
Schools continue to rely heavily on exclusion to discipline students
Restorative practices are not a panacea
Zero tolerance policies have contributed to the criminalization of youth

3. Understanding the race/class dynamics: Understanding the Nature of the Risks Facing Boys of Color
Facts about black males of color in school
More likely to be suspended or expelled
More likely to drop-out
More likely to be placed in special education
More likely to be missing from honors, gifted and advanced placement
More likely to be under-represented among school personnel (except as custodians, security guards and disciplinarians)
Black girls 8 X more likely than white girls to be suspended

4. Key Question: What is there about the structure and culture of some schools that results in disproportionate rates of punitive discipline and school failure?

5. Hearing from the experts: Our students
Do you feel safe in school? What makes you safe?
Are there adults you can turn to if you’re faced with a dilemma?
What are some things your school could do to better serve the needs of students and improve the school climate?

6. What We Know About Violence and Disorder in Schools
Lack of strong relationships between adults and students is a contributing factor
School shootings - No one knew there was a problem
Perpetrators of rampage shootings - quiet, middle class, white, male, harassed by peers, easy access to weapons
Inner-city and high poverty schools: incidents are often an extension of conflicts outside of school
Related to threats in status and respect

7. Safety cannot be disconnected from the academic mission
Safety is a by-product of social relationships, not advanced security
Need to personalize learning environment
Need to insure that “at-risk” students have adults designated to watch out for them
Need to help students set goals for the future early
Need to help students see the relevance and applicability of what they learn to “real life” concerns - career academies
Student success more likely when:
Students are challenged
Receive guidance and have access to support
Can explore interests and identity within a supportive structure

8. School rules and procedures often undermine purpose of education
Schooling based upon a social contract of expectations - conformity in exchange for education
What happens if contract is broken?
Rules often unrelated to values - failure to engage the moral and ethical development of students
The goal of discipline is to change behavior
Rules are designed to create order and efficiency nt nurturing learning environments
Grading and tardy policies
Emphasis on controlling students often takes precedent over addressing student needs

9. Factors Contributing to Discipline Problems in Schools
Size - Large schools experience greater degree of student alienation and disengagement
Lack of focus on school culture – strains in race relations
Anonymity and weak adult-student relationships
Students in low track classes often lack motivation and have no concrete goals for the future
Shortage of adults with moral authority

10. Toward a Solution: Creating Schools that Engage Students and Prevent Delinquency
Safe and orderly schools are essential for teaching and learning
Schools and classrooms that have difficulty maintaining order typically are characterized low levels of student achievement;
The effort to address safety and order in schools can not be handled separately from the effort to improve the quality of schools
Students who are most likely to experience academic difficulty are also more likely to violate school rules and norms;
These also tend to be the “neediest” students
Unmet needs often result in greater likelihood of punishment

11. David Banks – Founder of Eagle Academy

12. Engaged learners at Eagle

13. Extended Learning at Eagle Academy

14. Reactive vs. Preventative Discipline Practices
Rely heavily on isolation and exclusion
Engage parents after behavior problems are exhibited, not before
Focus on behavior infractions while overlooking underlying causes
Fail to respond to early indicators of serious behavior problems
Preventative
School values and norms are clearly articulated and actively reinforced
Character development viewed as central to school mission
Attempt is made to ascertain causes of behavior problems
Interventions and punishments are designed to reinforce ethical behavior and reconnect students to learning
Parents and community are partners

15. Alternative Discipline Strategies
Extra work - in-school suspension, Saturday school
Community service
Compensation to victims
Counseling
Parental involvement
Interaction with community agencies

16. Cultivate Agency: Influencing the choices that are made by youth
Educate students about their history and culture - Paul Robeson Institute
Implement problem posing curriculum focused on real challenges that cultivates critical thinking
Provide opportunities for community service, activism and leadership development – Leadership Excellence
Channel the energy, don’t crush it - Sports, music, art
Teach students to understand their emotions and to deal constructively with the anger - Emotional intelligence

17. Demystify success Teach study skills Teach “codes of power”
Provide samples of “good” work
Provide students with opportunities to be involved in leadership and service activities
Provide access to influential role models
Discuss future plans early and expose students to options through internships and travel

18. Safe Schools are Nurturing Communities
Parents work as partners with school personnel
Students have a clear sense of their future
Teachers have moral authority and close connection to kids
Kids feel accountable and responsible for their behavior
School culture affirms values and norms that promote civility, compassion and community