In-School Suspension Statistics Presented

Administrators from Rockville High School recently presented data on the school’s first year using an In-School Suspension program to the Vernon Board of Education.

Rockville High School Principal Eric Baim, along with Assistant Principals Mike Maltese and Sue Andrews reported to the board that almost 83 percent, or 860 of its students, had not experienced ISS during the 2010-11 school year. Baim told the board that adding ISS to the high school has assisted with helping students increase their educational time because students are serving a suspension in school instead of out of school.

“It goes toward seat time and how important it is for students to be in the classroom,” Baim said. “Seven hundred days were saved because of ISS. We do still want to lower the number of students in ISS.”

The high school had 821 ISS suspensions incidents this year compared to 136 Out-of-School Suspension incidents this year and 542 incidents last year.  In the 2010-11 school year, there were 434 OSS assigned for 136 incidents compared to 2009-2010 with 1,176 OSS days assigned for 542 incidents, according to the report. Baim pointed out that although more incidents resulting in suspension happened this year, fewer instructional days were lost.

Baim told the board that students who received ISS were interviewed to see why they were in ISS, particularly repeat offenders.  Many students who received ISS skipped administrative detention because the student did not want to stay after school for another two or three hours after being in school for six. 

“It’s a concern,” Baim said. “The problem is what we are doing. A lot of them are getting it from minimal offenses. We have to look at what we are doing.”

Maltese pointed out that there were 1,326 administrative detentions that were skipped. He explained that the high school has a progressive discipline system. A Student who skipped a two hour detention was assigned a three hour detention. If that detention was skipped it was reassigned. The third time results in an ISS, according to Maltese.

“Students prefer ISS to detention,” Andrews said.  Students appear to prefer it because they are able to get work done and receive one-to-one assistance, she said.

Baim reported that 16 percent of the population, or 174 students, attended ISS this year.

In ninth grade, 19 percent, or 61 students, had ISS.  There were 253 incidents: 217 resulted in one day of ISS, 11 resulted in two days of ISS and 25 resulted in three-plus days of ISS.

In 10th grade, 20 percent, or 46 students, had ISS.  There were 273 incidents: 252 resulted in one day of ISS, seven resulted in two days of ISS and 14 resulted in three-plus days of ISS.

In 11th grade, 17 percent, or 41 students, had ISS.  There were 174 incidents: 166 resulted in 1 day of ISS, 3 resulted in 2 days of ISS and 5 resulted in 3 plus days of ISS.

In 12th grade, 10 percent, or 26 students, had ISS.  There were 126 incidents: 118 resulted in 1 day of ISS, 3 resulted in 2 days of ISS and 5 resulted in 3 plus days of ISS.

Baim also reported the number of students and number of suspensions that occurred this year. There were 79 students or 7.6 percent, who had one or two incidents resulting in ISS. There were 44 students or 4.2 percent, who had three to five incidents resulting in ISS. There were 65 students or 5.3 percent, who had 6 or more incidents resulting in ISS.
Board member David Kemp stated that this data is just a portion of what needs to be looked at in order to understand the whole discipline picture. He suggested that expulsions and arrest data also be reviewed.

“Look at the parallels to see if they (students) move to expulsions and arrest,” he said. “These suspensions are just a piece of it. Yes, it looks like a positive thing, but it is only part of it.”

The high school is implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support in the fall, Baim said.  He believes the practice will assist students with some of the behaviors currently causing students to receive ISS. PBIS is a proactive, comprehensive, systemic and individualized continuum of support designed to provide opportunities to students for achieving social and learning success, while preventing problem behaviors, according to www.ctserc.org/pbs/sercpbs.ppt.

Research of the PBIS method shows a decrease in referrals, improvement in school climate, and encourages family and community support. Vernon has been implementing PBIS across the district for several years. The program began at Maple Street School.  In the fall all Vernon schools will use PBIS.

The ISS program is staffed by a full-time facilitator and a part-time paraprofessional. Students are expected to reflect at the start of each day completing a packet and having conversations about why they acted a certain way or did what they did, according to Baim.  There are also daily meetings with school counselors, social workers and the school psychologist. Teachers provide class work for students and there is an opportunity for students to complete make-up or owed work. 

The ISS room also has computers and Internet access.