NEWS RELEASE
February 28, 2013
NR#40
2012-2013
Dr. Yvonne Brandon, Superintendent
Felicia Cosby, Communications Officer
Public Information Office: 780-7100
Huguenot High School’s New Community Service
Program Reduces School Suspensions
Pilot Program Being Considered District-wide
Huguenot High School has recently implemented a new Community Restorative Service program designed to address minor behavioral infractions while reducing both in and out-of-school suspensions. Since its implementation in October 2012, school officials have noted a 19 percent decrease in suspensions, school-wide.
“Our number one priority is student achievement. We want our students to be focused on learning, and they have to be in school in order to do so,” said Jafar Barakat, Principal at Huguenot High School. “This progressive discipline model accommodates an appropriate consequence for the behavioral violation while restoring the student’s ability to remain in school.”
The alternative suspension program is for first-time student offenders who have violated minor behavioral infractions ranging from cutting class to cell phone usage violations. With parental permission, a student must complete a specified number of community service hours totaling no more than three days by assisting the school’s staff on various school improvement projects in lieu of in-school or out-of-school suspension. The community service projects can include maintenance of school grounds, classroom and hallway cleaning, as well as assisting with media service needs.
The school-based community service program is one of several transformative initiatives underway at Huguenot to address disciplinary issues and school climate. The school also has changed its in-school suspension program to an intervention program, which includes peer mediation, social skills building, and mini-group discussions to assist students with de-escalation techniques to avoid repeat offenses.
“The new intervention component of our restorative program transforms in-school suspension from a pure punitive experience to one where students can share and learn from each other alternative approaches to handling common, yet potentially explosive situations. This intervention process increases a student’s communications skills, social etiquette, and conflict resolution skills. It has served as not only a deterrent to repeat offenses, but has also prevented the escalation of conflicts requiring more severe actions,” said Barakat.
According to Barakat, the cornerstone of the school’s climate transformation is a new recognition program that acknowledges students who engage in good citizenship, who have improved in behavior or academic achievements, and who best represent Huguenot’s five “high ideals”—respect, responsibility, accountability, courtesy and consistency. Students on each grade level have the opportunity to be recognized publicly for each category and can receive additional incentives for continued good behavior and academic progress.
“This creative and comprehensive approach to solving some of our most pressing challenges is encouraged district-wide,” said Dr. Thomas Beatty, Executive Director of Secondary Education. “We are very pleased with the declining trend in suspensions at Huguenot and believe we will see even more progress at the end of the year. As we evaluate the programs at Huguenot, we will be looking to implement the most effective components at other secondary schools.”
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Tandem
