Relaxing disciplinary measures could lead to better school results

Relaxing strict school discipline policies could lead to better test results and improved school culture, according to a study from The Australian National University (ANU).

The paper, a collaboration between Dr Ashley Craig from ANU and David Martin at Harvard University, looked at the impact of eliminating suspensions for low-level disorderly behaviour such as talking back to a teacher.
 
According to Dr Craig, the research team were “surprised” to see kids across the board benefiting from the reform.
 
“We specifically looked at changes made in the New York public school system and the impact on student performance,” he said.
 
“We saw a rise in both math and reading scores, particularly in schools that previously had an above-average suspension rate for disorderly behaviour.
 
“The change benefited all students, even if they were unlikely to be suspended themselves. This makes it unlikely the results can simply be put down to kids who might have been suspended spending more time in class.”
 
The results showed the change in approach to discipline also contributed to an improvement in school culture more generally.
 
The researchers analysed large-scale surveys of both students and staff about school culture and found several possible reasons for the flow-on effect.
 
“Students and teachers are likely to work harder and learn more when they feel supported and respected,” Dr Craig said.
 
Dr Craig suggested students might also be more engaged if they feel that teachers and administrators are less biased and more reasonable.

“It’s worth adding that these benefits were achieved at minimal financial cost,” he said.
 
“This paper contributes to our understanding of the factors that make a school system effective. Our results suggest that instituting a very strict discipline code on its own can actually be harmful to students, and not just those who misbehave.
 
“Our study focused on the most discretionary suspensions, or those most likely to be perceived as overly harsh or unfair. This is a first step in relaxing very strict disciplinary codes. Of course, some form of discipline is likely to be necessary, especially for more serious infractions or those that pose physical safety risks to other students. More research is needed to work out exactly where to draw that line.”
 
The research is forthcoming in The Economic Journal. The accepted manuscript is available online.