ZERO TOLERANCE

Rosiland Jackson & Shaniekiwa Lester

INTASC Standard, Description and Rationale

Standard #3 Learning Environments The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. Name of Artifact: Current Issues Date: April 16, 2013 Course: EDUC 101

Brief Description: For this assignment we had to take a pick a current issue involving education and provide detail information regarding the positive and negative affects those issue are having on the educational system

Rationale: To document Zero Tolerance Policy Standard #3, learning environments, we selected articles that posed views from both side of the issue. We will give you background information showing why the policy was created and the reason why it was necessary for such a policy. We will give you the pros and cons on this policy as well as information on the tragedies that made the Zero Tolerance Policy the most used policy within schools today.

Background

Zero Tolerance was birth in 1982 in a New Jersey school by a principal named Joe Clark. Mr. Clark suspended a massive number of students for fighting, being disrespectful, and vulgar behavior. He became nationally known when he was portrayed in the movie Lean on Me starring Morgan Freeman.

Reasons for Zero Tolerance

University of Iowa shooting November 1, 1991 Concordia University massacre August 24, 1992

Simons Rock College of Bard shooting December 14, 1992

Richland High School shooting 1995. Frontier Junior High shooting February 2, 1996 1997 Pearl High School shooting, October 1, 1997 Heath High School shooting, December 1, 1997 Jonesboro massacre March 24, 1998 Thurston High School shooting May 21, 1998 Columbine High School massacre 1999 W. R. Myers High School shooting April 28, 1999 Heritage High School shooting May 20, 1999

PROS of Zero Tolerance

Provide a Safe Environment Everyone receives the same punishment Federal grant money given to schools that have a Zero Tolerance Policy Removes disruptive students from the classroom

Shifts responsibility of discipline on the parents and not on the school

Students confide in teachers, administrators about a students behavior

PROS of Zero Tolerance

Deters bullying Deters bad behavior before it becomes habitual Federal education funding

Students can focus on learning

CONS of Zero Tolerance

Does not address the real reason for students behavior Denies students Due Process Policy is ineffective because of the severe punishment Increases school drop out rate Gives the student more opportunity to commit other offense and or crime Increased the level of violence Unfairly applied (Black, Latino, and students with Disabilities

CONS of Zero Tolerance

Punishment is too severe The policy increased the level of violence in schools Students are not learning because they are not in school

School are not addressing the underlining issues of why the student is misbehaving
Mental stability of the student is over looked

Questions

Do you think that Zero Tolerance Policy is effective in the age of Social Media?

If you had the opportunity to revised the Zero Tolerance Policy, what revision would you make?

References
Shah, N, & McNeil, M 2013, 'Discipline Policies Squeezed As Views on What Works', Education Week, 32, 16, pp. 411, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost. Web 9 April. 2013 Greg, T, @gtoppo, & USA, T n.d., 'Doctors oppose automatic school suspensions', USA Today, n.d., Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost. Web. 9 April. 2013 "Zero Tolerance Policy Cartoon." Teens at Risk. Ed. Stephen P. Thompson. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.