Allen schools’ behavior plan shows results
Last Modified: Sunday, July 15, 2012 8:59 PM
By Doris Maricle / American Press
OBERLIN — Allen Parish schools are seeing a decrease in office referrals, out-of-school suspensions and expulsions as part of a parishwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports program that is helping reduce discipline problems.
The program helps manage students by acknowledging those who display appropriate behavior and offering support for those with difficulties.
PBIS coordinator Shay Barrett said the number of students with three or fewer referrals was 93 percent for the last school year. Barrett said 85 percent is considered the “theory rate.”
The number of students with four or six referrals is at 3.8 percent. The expected rate is 10 percent, she said.
The number of at-risk students with seven or more referrals is at 3.9 percent, compared with the expected 5 percent rate.
“This shows we are doing well,” Barrett said.
Out-of-school suspensions for the last five years decreased to 8.7 percent last year, she said. “We had 752 out-of-school suspensions last year,” Barrett said. “We have cut that number in half from four years ago.”
The number of days for out-of-school suspensions has dropped from more than 2,000 four years ago to 1,200 last year. “We have saved 1,000 days of schools for students,” she said.
The 20 expulsion figure of last year is down nearly 40 percent from the previous year’s number.
“This says we are working very hard to meet the needs of the students and keep them in school,” Barrett said. “We are doing things from the school level to keep them in school instead of pushing them out.”
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