Are you looking to reduce and eliminate the use of punitive discipline practices such as restraint, seclusion, suspension, expulsion and/or corporal punishment? If so the Alliaince Against Seclusion and Restraint can help. Our mission is to inform changes in policy and practice to reduce and eliminate the use of punitive discipline and outdated behavioral management approaches and end the school-to-prison pipeline.
Our Approach
We believe that we need to take the right approach to help create safer and more supportive environments for students, teachers, and staff. The following are components in our approach.
Trauma-Informed
The adverse childhood experiences study (ACES) tells us that nearly 1 in 6 had experienced four or more types of ACEs. Today, many children entering our classrooms have experienced trauma.
Neuroscience-Aligned
Understanding stress-based responses helps us to understand that not all behavior is volitional. We must focus on teaching adults and children about brain state and co-regulation.
Relationship-Driven
The more healthy relationships a child has, the more likely she will be to recover from trauma and thrive. Relationships are the agents of change; the most powerful therapy is human love.
Collaborative
Rather than always doing things to children, we need to shift to working with children. We should foster a collaborative partnership between adults and kids to create better outcomes.
Neurodiversity-Affirming
Rather than always doing things to children, we need to shift to working with children. We should foster a collaborative partnership between adults and kids to create better outcomes.
Our Process
Our process begins with obtaining a clear understanding of your organizations needs and desired outcomes. Our three phase approach ensures that we are able to help create a plan that will help you in reducing and eliminating restraint, seclusion, suspension, expulsion, and corporal punishment.
Discovery
- Conduct a kick-off meeting with leadership and key staff.
- Provide a review and analysis of relevant data and policies.
- Conduct a staff survey to assess concerns, thoughts, and feelings.
- Identify and interview critical stakeholders (parent and community).
- Conduct classroom observations to assess current practices.
Development
- Create a strategy to reduce the use of punitive discipline.
- Create a training plan for High Quality Professional Development (HQPD) for staff.
- Develop a methodology to evaluate success (key metrics).
Implementation
- Lead the scheduling and coordination of recommended training.
- Collect and evaluate feedback for staff professional development.
- Track and report on key success metrics for the reduction of use for punitive discipline.
- Provide recommendations for next steps.
Next Steps
If you are ready to commit to reducing punitive discipline, we can help. We can meet with you and your stakeholders to understand the issues and concerns unique to your organization. We can guide you in formulating a training strategy. And, we can help you create an accountability system to ensure that you are successful.