School-wide Behavior Management and Discipline Systems by Rogelio Dela Cruz, Ph.D (September, 2005)

Orderly, safe, respectful, and purposeful behaviors are all elements of successful classrooms and effective schools. Schools that have school-wide systems for promoting positive behaviors and for dealing with distracting and negative behaviors are more likely to foster greater engagement and learning. But, even the earliest writers on schools management, noted that working with a large group of young people in small spaces called classrooms is a demanding and challenging task. In this article we will examine the components of quality student behavior management and discipline systems.

The Components of Successful Behavior Management Systems

There are no simple recipes for successful behavior management systems. They need to reflect the values of the community, the educational needs of students, and best knowledge of how to work with children. Nonetheless, researchers and practitioners have identified a number of components of systematic programs to shape positive and address negative behaviors in schools

A set of beliefs about what behaviors and relationships are valued and important. The school and its community need to address carefully what they truly believe should be the behaviors and social relationships in their school.

A total staff commitment to managing student behavior based on the approach taken. Staff needs to commit to supporting and implementing the program expectations consistently and continuously.

A school-wide attention to the treatment of all persons with respect, concern, and fairness. To make discipline and behavior management programs work, there must first be a focus on the positive, empathetic, and equitable treatment of everyone. This positive focus should be pervasive and reflect a deep commitment to quality human relationships.

A set of clearly defined and widely communicated expectations for behavior. . Students are more likely to follow the school's expectations when they are clear and when they know about them. Regular attention to the underlying values of the school can also reinforce understanding of the reasons for the expectations and rules.

A programmatic effort to help students develop skills in self-control, problem solving, conflict resolution, and the development of positive social relationships. Schools should be proactive in teaching the kinds of social interaction skills that can reduce conflict, defuse problems, and build positive relationships with others.

A set of well defined equitably enacted consequences and clear, fair procedures for addressing students who break the rules. Schools need to have a behavior management system that has procedures that students understand and consequences that are clear and fair. Such systems make the process of dealing with rule-breaking more successful and easier to administer.

A dynamic classroom instructional program that engages students in meaningful, authentic learning that generates motivation and learning. One of the most important ways to reduce behavior problems is to have a rich, meaningful, and authentic instructional program. Active, engaged learners are less likely to break rules, act inappropriately, or bother others. When students are motivated and involved, their energies are focused on the tasks at hand. Classrooms that help students learn in ways that are engaging have significantly fewer behavior problems.