The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights recently invited an IU School of Education faculty member to speak at a hearing on zero-tolerance approaches to school discipline. Russell Skiba, an associate professor in the school's Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, presented his research findings at the event held in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 18. For the past five years, Skiba has conducted research on school discipline that has raised serious concerns about the fairness and effectiveness of zero-tolerance policies such as expulsion. He pointed out that research has consistently shown that black students are over-represented in cases of suspension and expulsion, and that there is little research support for such methods in combating school violence. Skiba noted that the quick-fix approach represented by zero tolerance fails to instruct students properly in appropriate alternatives to violence and disruption.
Punishment decreases behavior.
The program includes professional training in outdoor recreation and leadership. Paul Marsh of the IU Department of Recreation and Park Administration is the coordinator. An increasing number of non-recreation majors in such fields as business, sociology and kinesiology are attracted to the program, along with those who work with youth at risk or have career interests in ecology and environmental fields. Our analyses indicate that the program has helped schools improve reading-related outcomes for young children. The center surveyed funded schools and also a group of schools that had not received funding from the program.