Rationale: NMSA opposes corporal and emotionally abusive punishment of adolescents in middle schools, and endorses nonviolent means to deal with student behavioral problems and disciplinary offenses. Inappropriate discipline methods can result in alienation, negative self-esteem, and negative attitudes. The demands of our world require that people resolve conflicts peacefully. Behavior modeled by adults is important (This We Believe, p. 35).

• Students are growing in terms of understanding themselves and others, developing self-control and denial, learning to be understanding and tolerant of others and accepting the consequences for their failings. Given the intense changes young adolescents are undergoing, this can be a large order. (Stevenson, 1992, p. 217).
• A high degree of peer interaction is needed at this level and should be provided in a middle school committed to the needs of its students. Stevenson (1992, p. 215) says "the most obvious place to share authority with young adolescents is in creating, amending or replacing the rules that guide how their school lives are lived."
• The amount and intensity of student discipline problems are reflective in the amount of student morale in the building (Raebeck, 1992, p. 18). As students’ self-worth and morale increase, discipline problems will begin to decrease. If academic and humanistic goals are realized, the need for inappropriate behaviors will decrease.
• Stevenson (1992, p. 219), recommends four provisos that accomplish necessary order in the classroom:

*interpersonal climate - school climate responsive to youngsters’ needs; good relationships with adults is crucial

*worth and dignity assured - every youngster must believe in himself or herself; self-esteem is a constant need; embarrassment and humiliation have no place in responsive middle level education

*approximating democracy - democratic process needs to be obvious in the middle school; collaboration is crucial

*redemption is always close, not closed - separate the behavior from the identity of the perpetrator; forgiveness must always be available; human growth and development occur irregularly; options must remain open for rapidly changing youth.

• Johnston (1992) discusses collaborative groups caring about their members and their welfare. "They recognize that the success of the entire group depends on the success of any individual in it, so they support that person without making him or her dependent. They are alert to each other’s needs and take care of them without fanfare." While Johnston was not specifically addressing the issue of discipline, this "pervasive caring" is imperative in creating a sense of belonging and decreasing discipline difficulties.
• Many people have authority over young adolescents. Parents are the most dominant superiors, along with older siblings and relatives. At school, all adults are superiors. In the community neighbors, business owners, etc., have authority over young adolescents. These reasons necessitate allowing youngsters to have some say in their own lives. School is a place where this can be done (Stevenson, 1992). Stevenson (p.216) offers suggestions for teachers and students to share authority.

- Developing team or class rules and consequences for such issues as behavioral expectations, acceptable language, interpersonal courtesies

- Selecting and planning special occasions such as team events, birthday celebrations, holiday commemorations, or a team/class party

- Choosing curricular studies such as orbitals and service projects

-Negotiating dates for tests and due dates for projects, and designing a homework schedule

-Creating an equitable system for decorating and maintaining the team space or classrooms and the outdoors

- Explaining educational goals and programs to parents

-Leading team/class meetings and discussions

• High academic and behavioral standards are necessary; all students can learn and conduct themselves appropriately. Students are unique in their developmental needs (Keefe, Valentine, Clark, & Irvin, 1993, p. 38).
• In discipline, actions that focus on symptoms rather than cause are generally far less effective than a whole person-centered approach; a strong student recognition program is a strong morale builder (Raebeck, pp. 18-19).
• Abolish Leper Colonies: large remedial classes, low-level tracked classes, detention halls, vocational education classes, in-school suspensions, special education classes where people are isolated and interact rarely with the rest of the school, sections of the cafeteria where only black tee-shirt kids sit sullenly (Raebeck, p. 30).
• Incorporating more active, hands-on experiences for students has a positive effect on discipline (Ames, & Miller, 1994, p. 41).
• Johnston & Markle (1986, p. 7), stress the importance of order and discipline. Teachers, parents, and students agree on the basic rules of conduct... the schools are not oppressive; rules are generally positively stated, few in number and not capriciously formulated; each rule has an obvious relationship to fostering learning.
• The most compelling reason for good classroom management is that teachers who are effective classroom managers tend to produce more student learning (Brophy & Putnam, 1979).
• Need exists for few rules, with those existing to be clear, and reasonable (Clark & Clark, 1994, p. 44).
• Based on their research, George and Shewey (1994, p. 64) found that after schools had reorganized to middle schools the following percentages found positive results relating to discipline:

49% Suspension rate

23% Expulsion rate

54% Discipline referral

46% School vandalism

31% School theft

Selected References

Ames, N., & Miller, E. (1994). Changing Middle Schools: How to Make Schools Work for Young Adolescents. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Brophy, J. & Putnam, J. (1979). Classroom management in the elementary grades, in Duke (Ed.) Classroom Management, the Seventy-Eighth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development’s Task Force on Education of Young Adolescents. (1989). Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, a program of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Clark, S. & Clark, D. (1994). Restructuring the Middle Level School: Implications for School Leaders. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

George, P., & Shewey, K. (1994). New Evidence for the Middle School. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

Johnson, J. & Markle, G. (1986). What Research Says to the Middle Level Practitioner. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

Johnston, H. (1992). Climate and culture as mediators of school values and collaborative behavior. In J. Irvin (Ed.), Transforming Middle Level Education: Perspectives and Possibilities. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Keefe, J., Valentine, J., Clark, D., & Irvin, J. (1993). Leadership in Middle Level Education, Volume II: Leadership in Successfully Restructuring Middle Level Schools. Reston, VA: National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Raebeck, B. (1992). Transforming Middle Schools: A Guide to Whole-School Change. Lancaster, PA: Technomic.

Stevenson, C. (1992). Teaching 10 to 14 year olds. New York: Longman.

This We Believe. (1992). Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.