More students served out-of-school suspensions in the 2023-24 school year than during the previous academic year, according to data administrators presented Monday to school board members in Indian Prairie School District 204.
But administrators said the annual student behavior and interventions review paints a positive picture of educators’ efforts to create a safe learning environment, address the root causes of disruptive behavior and build students’ capacity to act appropriately.
Suspensions up, but rate ‘very low’
Data show 567 students across all grade levels served out-of-school suspensions in 2023-24, up by 100 students from the 467 who served the same type of suspension during the 2022-23 year. Administrators and school board members said they’re not pleased with the increase, but the suspension rate in the district of roughly 25,600 students from parts of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield is “very low.”
“95%-plus of our students are making good choices,” school board President Laurie Donahue said.
Leaders, staff members and parents all are working to increase the percentage of students who act appropriately to promote safety, dignity and a secure environment, officials said.
The district is training staff members in “restorative practices,” a method that focuses on using consequences for misbehavior in coordination with instruction about how to make positive choices and build strong relationships, said Laura Rosenblum, assistant superintendent for elementary.
She described the practice as a “paradigm shift” from thinking only about punishment for infractions such as fights, drug possession, using slurs or engaging in reckless conduct. Educators now focus not only on doling out consequences to reprimand these and other inappropriate behaviors, but also on “skill development or opportunity to repair those relationships and learn how to do better,” Rosenblum said.
“We as educators need to teach behavior with the same commitment that we teach reading and writing,” she said.
Preventing repeat suspensions
With teachers and administrators working under the restorative framework, data show repeat suspensions are low, received by 1.5% of high school students, 2.5% of students at the middle school level and 0.25% of elementary schoolers.
Board member Supna Jain asked why middle school students were given more repeat suspensions than those at other age groups.
Brad Hillman, assistant superintendent for middle schools, said it could be because students at this age are “consistently inconsistent,” and their brain development makes it difficult for them to predict the consequences of their actions before it’s too late. Hillman said educators notice students coming into school upset because of conversations that occurred on social media outside school hours, then making choices that cause stress and disruption.
“If I had one magic power, I would end all cellphone communication — outside of a flip phone — for anybody under the age of 16,” Hillman said.
‘Learning and maturing’
Short of a magic power, administrators said they do see students understanding the consequences of their choices better as they grow.
“We see very few out-of-school suspensions by senior year,” said Nicole Howard, assistant superintendent for high schools. “There is learning and maturing taking place. We would love to see more of that happening earlier.”
Board member Allison Fosdick thanked staff members for efforts to shift away from a negative connotation of discipline focused solely on punishment, toward a more neutral approach “as a door to open student growth.”
“It focuses back on putting our students first,” Fosdick said.
Striking a balance, with both consequences and teachable moments, is the most important element of the approach to the school board president.
“It doesn’t replace consequences. You still have consequences for bad behavior, but there also is this aspect of learning and building relationships,” Donahue said. “That’s critically important.”
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