Alternative Discipline Center Changes the Meaning of Suspension

Here’s how it used to work: Misbehave in class, and you’re suspended. You miss school. You fall behind.

In the , things are different. Misbehave in class and you can be suspended. But instead of missing school, you’re destined for the Alternative Discipline Center.

The program serves students who get suspended for more than 10 days in grades six through 12. Last year, 225 students in the district attended the program, which allows troubled students to keep up with their classes, but keeps them out of their original classrooms. Since 2002, 70 percent of students who were offered the program have chosen it.

Parkway officials say the program has been successful, citing a drop in the number of participants from 400 students six years ago. And only 75 since 2002 have been repeat visitors. Those numbers come from a June report to the Parkway school board.

“The program is strongly supported by Parkway’s Board of Education,” said Michael Barolak, coordinator of student discipline and alternative student programs. “They understand there is no benefit in a student sitting at home.”

Getting Started

Barolak meets with students and parents to discuss why the pupil is in the program. Seventy percent of suspended students choose the program, so they don’t fall behind their classwork. They’re assigned a teacher, and expectations are spelled out clearly.

“Do your work,” he said. “Be respectful, and don’t disrupt the learning environment.”

Students are placed with students of similar age. Those who fought are separated. Barolak considers the individual needs of the student when assignments are made, and classes are small: a teacher for every 10 students in the program.

Barolak said the teachers are specialists in youth mentoring and coaching, and they often offer one-on-one support in some of the basic coursework.

“One of our teachers is fluent in four languages,” he said. “Our goal is to offer individualized instruction and keep a student caught up with peers at their home school.”   

Students attend class Monday through Friday for five hours each day at the Instructional Services Center building at Fee Fee Road and Bennington Place, near. When the suspension is done, the student’s teacher send a report back to the home school.

Showing Results

According to the June report, compiled from anonymous surveys of participants, 80 percent of the center’s participants are high school students. About 40 percent have specialized lesson plans to help them with learning difficulties. A bit more than a third are St. Louis city residents who get transportation from the district.

The two biggest reasons for suspensions? Fighting and drugs or alcohol, which account for about a third of suspensions each. Program officials estimate they've saved more than 13,000 hours in instructional time for these students just in the last school year.

In the report, teachers said that very few students fall behind in their time at the center. The center sends reports to the students’ schools about their progress at the end of the program.

Some students said they would like “more reflection on why they were suspended” and “less distraction in (the center’s) classes.” 

Barolak said at the June school board meeting that concerns about the distracting environment were part of the nature of the space. Students are often at the center because of behavioral problems, which can mean some disruptions in the classroom. But, overall, the program is doing its job.

In the report, students listed key skills they learned in the program that might contribute to improved behavior in their schools. Several said they learned "how to stay on task," that "my study habits need to change," or "that teachers are here to help us and not destroy us."

Tomorrow On Patch: An interview with one of the ADC's Teachers.