Do Alternatives Matter: Is the Provision of Disciplinary Alternatives Associated with Lower Levels of Low Level Suspensions in American High Schools?
Abstract Purpose Concern about the use of zero tolerance policies for discipline has led to a search for alternatives such as training in early warning signs of aggressive behavior and strategies for effective classroom management in schools. This chapter examines the effectiveness of the provision of alternatives to out of school suspensions (OSS) in reducing the use of exclusionary discipline for minor misbehavior and the school characteristics associated with these provisions. Design/methodology/approach This analysis uses the 2008 panel from the National School Survey on Crime and Safety to explore this question for approximately 1,000 high schools. The analysis is a probit regression analysis to examine the association between the provision of alternatives to OSS, school characteristics, and the use of OSS for low level suspensions. This analytic approach provides wide generalizability for the findings, though it does also limit an ability to identify individual school or student level effects. Findings Findings based on probit regression analysis suggest that structural characteristics of schools beyond student characteristics are only somewhat related to variation in the use of OSS for low level infractions and, on average, the availability of alternatives to OSS do not strongly decrease the frequency of OSS for lower level infractions. These findings are important in the current era of discipline policy scrutiny where schools and policy makers are searching for alternatives to traditional suspension practices in a limited empirical evidence base. Originality/value While these alternatives hold great promise, little is known about their effectiveness in addressing behavior problems and/or reducing OSS. More importantly, even less is known about the characteristics of schools likely to enact alternatives.