I was introduced to the in-school suspension process when I became an administrator in a school for students with severe behavior problems. It was used as I expected to keep students in school when they would have otherwise been suspended. The one thing that set this (ISS) In-School Suspension program apart from other programs was the amount of time that a student spent in ISS, and the level of student accountability. Students who were assigned ISS were not put in there for hours but, for days. Students also had to produce a voluminous amount of work in order to be released. If the student’s behavior was out of line while they were in in-school suspension, they were assigned more time.
This idea of in-school suspension has been around since the 1970’s when researchers began propagating the notion that out-of-school suspensions (OSS) were ineffective, and perhaps even detrimental to students. It has been my experience that out of school suspension is only ineffective when the student is left unsupervised in the home while they are suspended, and because the parents don’t hold the child accountable for his poor behavior in school. Students would come back from out of school suspension, without any consequence imposed in the home, and had no fear of being suspended again. The school then has been handed the responsibility of holding students accountable, while the student remained in school for behaviors that they would otherwise be suspended for.
The Key Components to an Effective In-School Suspension Program:
Respect must be Present – If mutual respect is not established between the instructor and the students assigned the program will be a dismal failure. An in-school suspension program should have one, and I stress one supervising teacher. Students who have chronic behavioral problems have difficulty adjusting to different personalities and really need more of a mentor to help and encourage them to change their behavior. The supervising teacher should be a certified professional and have a background in Special Education, or counseling.
Students must be responsible and held accountable – The teachers and administration must develop a user friendly mechanism that provides assignments for the students assigned on a daily basis. All work must be completed before a student is allowed to leave. The work should be checked for completeness by the in-school suspension teacher and routed back to the teacher who provided the assignment. If students complete their assignments before the end of the day, supplemental packets should be made available. These assignments should not be busy work, but rather they should be used to address some of the specific behaviors that put the student in in-school suspension in the first place.
Non-compliance must be addressed – If a student continues to exhibit inappropriate behavior while in in-school suspension it must be addressed. Too often inappropriate behaviors are ignored; this sends the wrong message to other students in the room, and in its own way communicates by default agreement. Students who exhibit inappropriate behavior, should be given instruction regarding the rules and regulations of the room, given a firm warning, and then if the inappropriate behavior continues support needs to be summoned to the room. Counselors are not disciplinarians, but they should be called first to help manage the student’s behavior. A clear line needs to be drawn between the counselor and the administrator. Counselors deal with behavior from a therapeutic standpoint and provide compassion and understanding; administrators enforce the rules and regulations of the school. Both are needed for the discipline process to be effective.
Room location, size, and student teacher ratio – The In-School Suspension room should be far enough away from the general population of the school, but close enough to allow for administrative visits. The room should not be so far away that the disciplinarian by-passes the room during building tours. The size of the room should be large enough to keep plenty of space between each student to avoid the possibility of any student confrontations. Students in an in-school suspension program can be chronic behavior problems. Large numbers of these students in one room can become unmanageable. The student teacher ratio should be no more than 8-1.
Amount of time assigned – It has been my experience that periods, or hours do nothing to change a student’s behavior. Students should be assigned 2 days of In-School Suspension for every day that the student would otherwise be suspended for. Too often ISS is used as a holding area and can become a place where students want to go. Students should not be allowed to assign themselves ISS because of problems with a particular teacher, or because they refuse to do work. The disciplinarian of the school has the responsibility of assigning the day and time a student should report to ISS. Administration and only administration should assign students to the ISS room.
If you would like help designing an effective In-School Suspension Program. Please respond to this post or call 1-732-920-7879
Hello,
My name is Christina Coby and I am currently over the In-School Suspension program at a high school in St. Louis, Missouri. It is, in my humble opinion, at a point where it needs to be revitalized with new and more effective strategies that will help redirect the students behavior in a more positive manner and to alsoprevent them from becoming rep[eat offenders. Could you email me with some ideas please?
Thanks in advance!
Ms. Coby
In-School Suspension Supervisor
Hi Ms. Colby
The response would be too long to publish here. Please send me your email address so I can send you detailed information.
Jim
Hi. I am a high school math teacher. I’m not an ISS coordinator but have some opinions of the program run at my school. Before I offer suggestions, I would like to know what are the best assignments for students to have in ISS? You mentioned not giving them busy work and work that would help change the behavior. Do you have example of behavior-changing assignments? Also, for teachers of subjects like math, in which the students really need to be in class for instruction, what kind of assignments would you suggest to help prevent the students from getting behind? or is getting behind in their classes kind of an included punishment? Just asking.
Thanks
Hi Jim
I would like some detailed help in setting up an effective ISS room next fall for our 6, 7, 8th middle school of approximately 330 students.
How do we specifically deal with chronic attendees who misbehave during ISS?
Thank you so much!
Jim,
I have been given the task of restructuring our ISS program to create new and more effective strategies that will help redirect the students behavior in a more positive manner and to also prevent them from becoming repeat offenders. Could you email me with some ideas please?
Thanks
I would love some ideas to classroom guidelines, strategies to help the students with their work, how to effectively collaborate with the admin team and teachers, and a positive reward system, as I will be walking into a room as the ISS teacher/counselor at a middle school.
Thank you!!!
I have been charged with the chore of re-designing and monitoring our school’s (5th and 6th grade) ISS program. I want to be successful! I would love some helpful ideas/tips. My biggest apprehension is how to handle students who refuse to follow the rules in the ISS and disrupt others.
Thank you,
Kim
I recently applied for a job as an ISS instructor. The administrator asked that I come up with a plan/program to insure the students’ success of not being repeat offenders. I am in need of ideas/tips that would assist me in obtaining that goal. I am leaving an elementary setting going into a high school setting. Any assistance in providing a plan would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Oleatha
I am currently over the ISS program at one of the high schools in the city I reside in. I was also a behavior interventionist for a private residential treatment center, where I worked in both their school and residential sides. I have great ideas if you would like to shoot me your email address.
I’d love some help as well. I am running an ISS program at a new school and coaching their football team too. Jayunderwood1@suddenlink.net, I’d love to have some ideas.
My email address is jtwilliams@usd116.com
Jim:
I am a ISS at an alternative HS in Chicopee, MA. I would love for you to send me any information that you may have to assist me in running an ISS room. This is my 2nd year at Chicopee Academy, and I am always looking for [new] ideas on running the ISS room.
My email address is:
jgriffin@chicopee.k12.ma.us
* I do enjoy reading some of the posts & your ideas on various ISS rooms around the country.
Thank you for your time Jim. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
John Griffin
Student Support
Chicopee Academy
650 Front Street
Chicopee, MA 01013
Phone: (413) 594-3434 or (413) 594-3433
Fax: (413) 594-1852
Hi. I have recently been moved to the ISS room at our Middle School. We have approximately 1,200 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. I am very interested in any samples/suggestions of things I can do with the students who have completed all classroom assignments. I DO NOT want it to turn into a ~busy work~ time. I can’t wait to hear back….Thank you in advance.
I was recently hired as the ISS coordinator at a public high school. My biggest issue is kids acting like it is cool to be in ISS and they think they can swear and still act up. I feel like all I do is end up recommending them for OSS. Most of them want one on one attention (the counseling portion) but our school does not have enough resources. How do I function as both counselor and disciplinarian? at the same time?
Thanks
To ALL of you have received/(or have anything to share) any information regarding running an effective ISS room. I am most interested in a program that works to minimize repeat attenders, looks at replacing their behaviors with positive behaviors.
My email is bobo3079@aol.com
I would appreciate anything you have to offer, thanks
Jenn
Hello,
I have been running the ISS program for the Middle School for 15 years now. I was wondering if you had any assignments I could give the kids to reflect on what they did and how to not let it happen again or to make better choices. I’m looking for fresh ideas. My seem to be old and stale.
Thanks,
Stephanie
Good evening,
I have been charged with creating, designing and supervising an ISS program for my charter school’s middle school section (5th-8th). Any information, strategies or assignments that you can recommend would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
Scot
Good afternoon:
I have been charged with re-structuring, designing and supervising an ISS program for my middle school section (6th-8th). Any information, strategies or assignments that you can recommend would be greatly appreciated. I want to have speakers and or counselors come in as guests as well as provide an academic arena that students can maintain the skills needed for testing. The demographics in Florida are of Title 1 school. PLease advise.
Thank You,
I am interested in a program that works in ISS to minimize repeat attenders for the same offense daily, and changing their attitudes about school and authority
Kids have to finish their work before they can leave ISS…
What’s the answer for kids who won’t do their work in ISS? More ISS doesn’t seem to be a good answer.
And what about the kids who will do the regular classwork but not the extra work that puts no points in any grade book, what they see as busy work?
Hey Jim,
It sounds like you are the man I need to speak with, I am still technically an Intern but have been hired on a transitional basis and have been placed in charge of revamping the ISS program at a large middle school (1100+ students 5-8th grade). I am overwhelmed and could use some tips. My principal wants me to develop a group atmosphere in the thirty min break the ISS teacher has among other interventions to lower the number of repeat visits the students have. Please help. Thank you very much.
Hey Jim,
I am a 23 year old parapro with in the ISS program at a high school with over 1500 students. I work with another woman that has been in the program for more than twenty years. Most times the student to teacher ratio in our program could be 13 or 14 to 1 at times. I was wondering if you had any ideas on working with students when the ratio gets that high? We also have lots of repeat offenders and they never seem to care about coming back to ISS for days at a time. Wondering what your thoughts are on treating repeat offenders in ISS?
Email address: wegmannn@clarke.k12.ga.us
Hope to hear from you soon and excited to hear some of your ideas.
Can you send me your e-mail. I am a 1st year teacher in ISS, so far the program has been effective but there is always room for growth and learning. I still have repeaters and several class disruptions from the same teachers. Any suggestions, ideas or workshops would be helpful.
P. Huggins
My colleagues and I would like to look into an ISS for our middle school students. We are in a charter school in an urban setting and are seeking a program to present to our board. Our student population consists of students with many of the characteristics mentioned in your program description. We also have quite a bit of special education students with behavior classifications. Many of our students are over age and are academically below grade level. I hope you can help.
Jim,
With all of my certification in middle grades (certified to teach science, math, reading, social studies and language arts in grades 4-8), and a M.Ed. in teaching middle grades math, I will be serving our schools students in our high school ISS room this upcoming year.
As with any successful program, mutual respect is a must. I like the programs that I am reading about that include an initial orientation for students new to ISS and a review for returning students. This brief (20-30 min.) session outlines the rules and expectations for the student during their term in ISS, the role of the facilitator during that student’s term, and the sincere statement from the facilitator that the student can succeed, but the choice to do so is theirs. A brief discussion of the situation that resulted in the student receiving the assignment to ISS is a must for documentation and followup purposes. Plus, this can help me choose additional assignments that target the area in which they need help (anger management, self esteem) and possibly recommend them for a focus group the counselors might be planning (changing families, self-esteem in young girls, etc.)
The students’ cannot not fall behind in academics due to the assignment to ISS, but class discussions which lead to higher level thinking will be missed. Also, some students’ frustrations that lead to them striking out at those who taunt them could stem from their already experiencing deficits in reading abilities and mathematics abilities. Since life is a word problem, reading deficits (or the attempt to hide these deficits) can trigger anger, frustration and the need to protect oneself from those who tease and bait these students.
I like the suggestions in the literature that students need to reflect on the feelings and resultant actions that got them where they are (ISS).
I have no experience in this area; I do feel that the students should be rated or graded daily using a rubric or checklist. Success in long-term goals require many small short-term successes.
What can you share with me? Although I am certified, the highest grade in which I have taught is 6th, and that was during my student teaching. I have a B.Sc. from UGA with a major in horticulture; I’ve worked as a master cosmetologist for close to 30 years, so I have a good grasp of human nature. I chose to earn my masters in teaching mathematics because I was intimidated by math in high school; I could have achieved a year of calculus at the high school level, but I allowed one teacher’s nasty attitude toward me make me back down. I am a much stronger individual now with two sons of my own (ages 10 and 13, both in gifted reading, language arts, mathematics, and band).
I advocate for my students because I know that their problems stem from the behavior of some irresponsible adult(s) in their life. However, at the high school level, the student must work through that anger or at least learn to channel it into actions that guarantee their own future success.
How do I help them with this? Do you have any rubrics, writing prompts, classroom arrangement, classroom rules suggestions that you can share with me?
My goal is to keep these kids from constantly returning to ISS so that they receive the classroom instruction and support from their peers that they need. Our shool’s graduation rate must be increased so that our young people are contributing members of society who know how to make good choices.
What do I do about the kids that are bullied by their peers and find solace in the ISS room?
HELP!! I’m over my head!
Starla, (now a Pre-K teacher; I know!! I’ve never taken an early childhood class in my life!!)
Jim,
We call ISS by a different. Discipline Management Class (DMC) and I’m currently in my second year in this position.
When students get sent to DMC, I usually send out an email to teachers asking them for any assignments (past due or present) that they can submit. The majority of the time I received an assignment that the student will finish in five minutes or less. That’s the trouble I have. Then I’m scrounging up busy work for them.
Some additional assignments that I have come up are daily crossword puzzles, Soduki, or random chapter assignments. Don’t get me wrong, I run a very tight, structured, but fair program. I have even been complimented by Substitutes Teachers who don’t mind taking on this role when I take a day or two off. My admin staff is very in tune with DMC as well.
Needless to say, what other suggestions do you have that can help me stop repeat offenders or students who just don’t behave properly while in DMC. Let me tell you I do have about three students, when put together can raise the dead. Any suggestions? I look forward to your ideas.
Thank You,
Rick Cruz
Hi Jim
Please, email me any and all info on an effective and practicable ISS environment, ASAP. I have some training coming up and will need to implement what I can learn from you for the coming school year. Thanks so much in advance for all your help and your site.
V/r
Jack
Hi Jim,
Thank you for this introduction to ISS. I am another eductor who would like any/all information you can share about setting up an effective program. My email address is angieb327@gmail.com.
Thanking you in advance,
Angie
I currently manage a high schoo ISS. If you have any pertinent information that can be emailed to me, would you please do it at your earliest convenience as the first day of classes is next Wednesday, August 29th.
Thank you.
dl
Sorry: My email address is: des54rose@yahoo.com
Would like any information that will help ISS be successful…was thinking of using state scores and district scores to supplement assignments.
I would love to learn more about a new and innovative/progressive way to discipline at the high school level. Would you please email me at lmann@aisd.net.
Thanks,
Lisa