Personal Project by Stephanie Dallas

1. In School Suspension Programs
The Spoken Truth By Stephanie Dallas
SHAPE YOUR KNOWLEDGE Through Making Logical
Decisions

2. The Perspective for the In School Suspension Program
• The In School Suspension Program can be effective in school settings. The program is designed to provide
students the opportunity to stay in the school environment. This intervention is implemented to help
students shape their behavior in the school setting. The ISS program should be structured so parents,
students, teachers, and support staff are aware of the expectations for the ISS program. In my personal
opinion, students should be given a reasonable time frame so they can transition back in the classroom.
School Schedules
• Some school has different periods or blocks to provide quality instructions. The block schedule may be
compiled with information for more than one day of instructions. More than three days can cause students
to get further behind in the curriculum. Students with disabilities may be hindered in receiving services
according to their IEP. I hope in the future, the board will specify days, so students will not stay in the ISS
program for a long periods of time. The period should be implemented if a student receives a referral for
that period, only give the student the period instead of the entire day unless the student exhibits the behavior
in all of the other classrooms. The discretions will be left up to the principal to provide reasonable
consequences.

3. The Pros of the ISS Program
• The students are given the opportunity to attend school and to receive their
assignments in the ISS classroom.
• Students are given interventions to shape their behavior by technology programs
and Aggression Replacement Training.
• Students are given the opportunity to relate to real life experience by role playing
how to make good choices in the school setting and society.
• Students are given the opportunity to conference with the ISS teacher by verbal,
written, artwork, or cultural arts to discuss their actions for being in the ISS
classroom.

4. Continued Pros for ISS Program
• The ISS teacher collaborate with the students and teachers about their
assigned work.
• ISS is designed to give student movement breaks, Social Skills lessons and
additional resources to help them adapt to in and out of school events.
• Students are given the rules each day, however to check understanding they
are asked to summarize, verbalized, or create artwork about the classroom
expectations. Teacher notes and observations of student behaviors are
documented to share with administrators and the educational team.

5. Continued Pros for ISS
• The ISS program classroom is designed for 21st century learners. Therefore
the integrated technology is accessible for students to complete labs in
Google classroom or Edmodo. The technology is implemented in the ISS
program provides students with additional resources. Many assignments are
technology based and ISS computers are available for students to complete
the assigned work. Students may communicate with teachers through the
computer and in person in the ISS classroom.
• PBIS interventions are implemented in the ISS classroom to track student
progress.

6. Recognized Concerns in the ISS Program
• ISS can be over used and it becomes ineffective. Students that are assigned multiple
days in the ISS classroom loses hope to earn their way out. Some students’ will take
the “I don’t care approach”, if they are assigned to ISS 5 or more days. Some may
become insubordinate and show aggression towards teachers and peers in the ISS
environment.
• ISS can become a holding station for students to get approved for alternative
schools. Some students level of anxiety may increase due to knowing they might
stay in ISS for a semester and risk possibly failing the course. Participation grades
are factored in for some student assignments. Especially in lab courses or elective
programs. This may affect the student’s academic progress.

7. Recognized Concerns
• Teachers should not be authorized to terminate a student’s education.
Administrators shouldn’t deny a student to be placed in ISS on a continuous
basis for one particular class. Examples: Some students may remain in the
ISS program for quarters and even the semester. Some students are affected
because they miss out on classroom activities and group projects. They don’t
get the opportunity to receive direct instructions to complete projects or
classroom activities. If a student is in the ISS program for excessive days are
we being reasonable about the consequence?

8. Recognized Concerns Continued
• When students return back to school after OSS suspensions. It upsets any students to return
back to school and be placed in the ISS program for additional days. Students feel like they
are getting punished twice and becomes annoyed. This may cause them to lose respect for
authority figures.
• Students with disabilities should receive services in the ISS program. The case manager
should designed schedules for all students to receive services according to the IEP.
• If a student enters the classroom with BIP’s, the principal should designate a teacher or
support staff member to help the student transition in the ISS Program to minimize safety
concerns based on the severity of the behaviors. Parents should be held accountable in
making arrangements to pick up a child from school. The board will need to approve for
students to be taken home if the parent ignores or fail to comply with picking up the
student from school.

9. Suggestions
• The ISS Coordinator and Principal should collaborate with each other about the
expectations. The ISS Coordinator should be able to make reasonable decisions to make
sure the program is effective according to ISS procedures and state/ federal guidelines.
• If the student is not complying with ISS procedures. The student should be removed from
the program if it interferes with other students learning and safety within the classroom.
• Cell phones shouldn’t be permitted in the ISS classroom. This should be discussed with the
board. Example: Some students will call whoever to pose a safety risk in the ISS program
and school setting due to what the student has communicated over the phone. Most of the
time this will happen if the student has difficulty complying with school rules or fabricates
the truth. The ISS Coordinator should be treated with respect as they communicate with
students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

10. School Discipline Policy from Mrs. Dallas
• Students should be given the opportunity to write about the rules each day.
This will provide positive reinforcement to help the students to become
familiar with the expectations of the classroom. Assigned students to
facilitate the rules to check understanding for the desired behavior. (3 to 5
minutes) This should be a classroom expectation. Place the assignment in
student working folders. This assignment will hold students accountable for
their classroom behavior. This will also provide students with the
opportunity to write across the curriculum.

11. Policy Continued
• Good morning or afternoon, We are going to work as a team today, I believe in you! Remain positive to build
a rapport with the students. Teachers should find team partners in their grade level to send students. Sending
students to another classroom provides them with additional opportunity to shape their behavior without
causing more disruptions in the classroom. The student will still receive direct instructions from the peer
teacher’s classroom teaching the same course. This intervention will provide the student another opportunity
to be successful in the learning environment. It also provides time for the student to gain self-control
without disrupting the learning environment. Peer partners may assigned to escort the student to the
assigned classroom. During planning, the teacher may give the student something in writing or discuss their
actions in being removed out the classroom. Please refrain from emotions and communicate with the student
in the presence of another adult to avoid allegations or fabrications of the truth. It is essential to contact the
parent immediately before the student leaves campus. This will give the parents the opportunity to know
what happen in the classroom. This can also be documented as a phone conference. Please allow the student
to transition back in the classroom. Coach the student at the door by greeting the student and providing
positive reinforcement.

12. Policy Continued 2nd Incident of the Behavior
• Send a PBIS team referral and request for assistance. Usually when you
began to write a student up, it becomes persistent without hesitation.
Sometime the student will use the behavior to escape being in the classroom.
The teacher may use this strategy as a quick fix solution. After the PBIS team
meet with the student and parents to gather information. The team may use
a behavior contract to communicate with the student and parents about the
behavior goals. Give this contract some time to be effective before writing
the student up.

13. 3rd Incident of the Policy
• If the behavior still continues in the classroom. The next step would be to
send a referral and contact the parent about the referral. Make a copy of the
documentation and send it electronically through email. You may also hand
deliver it. Please make copies for parents o the administrators will have this
documentation during hearings to communicate with the parents and
students.

14. Conclusion
• ISS can be effective in school settings with administration support. The tone
and the high expectations should be shared with students and parents. This
program is designed for minor infractions to keep students in the learning
environment to shape their behavior. The educational team should be
proactive and not use ISS to avoid interacting with students. Administrators
should discuss with teachers, parents, and student the school model for
discipline. This should be consistent for documentation purposes.