Legal and Ethical Implications for Classroom Management
Grand Canyon University: EDU 450
December 20th, 2012
Discipline is one of the greatest challenges that face today’s educators. Administrators and teachers must determine what types of discipline are effective and how to prevent student misconduct. Teachers and administrators must familiarize themselves with ethical and legal issues and requirements when developing and implanting disciplinary procedures.
Getting to the Bottom of Discipline at Your Child 's School
Most issues regarding the safety of students and discipline are addressed at the school level. The consequences …show more content…
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) outlines the steps that must be taken when disciplining students with disabilities. The IDEA ensures that all students with special needs are provided a free appropriate public education. IDEA requires that a team of professionals describe what must be provided to the student in an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The student’s education and related services must be provided in the least restrictive environment possible. The school must ensure that their policies and procedures regarding the discipline of students with disabilities are aligned with the IDEA’s regulations. Under the IDEA schools have the authority to consider unique circumstances when it comes to making decisions on how to discipline students with disabilities. If a school makes the decision to remove a student with disabilities from their educational placement parents must be notifies in writing the same day that the decision is made. If the disciplinary action lasts ten school days or less the school is not required to provide special education services to the student during this time. For disciplinary actions lasting more than ten days the school is required by law to provide special education services to students which will allow the student to make adequate progress towards …show more content…
Most often this policy addresses controlled substances, weapons, violence, and other forms of disruptions in an effort to protect students and maintain a safe and positive environment at school. Although many teachers and administrators have found zero tolerance policies to be effective because the policy sends a clear and consistent message that particular behaviors will not be allowed at school, research indicates that there are also many negative results of the implantation of the zero tolerance policy such as increased student drop out. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) suggests that other discipline strategies that are proven to be more effective be implemented in today’s schools. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education and the Center for Safe and Responsive Schools, 75% of schools currently have a zero tolerance policy in place for serious offenses of misconduct. Disciplinary actions that are mandated with the zero tolerance policy usually include the student being removed from their normal education setting; such as being suspended or expelled. The NASP also states that zero tolerance policies can be costly and in the long rum ineffective. There can be negative results when removing a student from an educational setting and placing them in an environment where