Zero-tolerance policies are now part of the modern school leadership and administration. The growing nature of these policies, which are significantly controversial, has created attention to them among scholars and researchers who study and write about the phenomenon. The aim of this paper is to present a summary of three articles which discuss the topic of zero-tolerance policies in schools. This critical summary will seek to find out what scholars feel about the application of zero-tolerance policies in schools today.
Article 1
The first article selected and read is titled The Effects of Zero Tolerance Policies on Black Girls: Using Critical Race Feminism and Figured Worlds to Examine School Discipline . This article was authored by Hines-Datiri and Dorinda Carter and published in the year 2017.
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How was zero tolerance defined?
According to the content in this article, zero-tolerance policies are defined as the form of school disciplinary measures which impose the suspension or expulsion of a student from school for a variety of conduct code violations. The violations may be violence, truancy or dress-code issues. Essentially, the article describes the zero-tolerance policies as exclusionary discipline practices meant to victimize the students. In some cases, students are held in rooms which are modeled on the common police cells. For the context of this article, the zero-tolerance policies victimize the Black girls in schools.
What student behaviors were defined as being allowed zero-tolerance?
The article identifies a number of behaviors which are being allowed zero-tolerance. The behaviors range from minor actions to major issues of indiscipline. For instance, the article mentions violence in schools. Where there are many people of different beliefs, backgrounds, character and attitudes, there are bound to be differences. Therefore, sometimes students get into conflict and even fight within the school. Understandably, this offense is a major one. There are also cases where students engage in violent riots while demonstrating against a specific grievance. These forms of violence in the school are commonly allowed zero-tolerance. Other behaviors include general misconducts such disrespecting the teacher by showing rudeness, assaulting student leaders and failing to observe the school rules and regulations.
What was the school faculty’s role in implementing zero tolerance?
According to the article, the school faculty members execute the zero-tolerance policies by punishing students caught under any offense. The teachers expel or suspend the liable student once it has been proved that she or he committed the mistake. Expulsion means being sent out of the school permanently. On the other hand, suspension simply implies being sent out of the school for some period of time before resuming studies. A teacher may also decide to lock up the student a cell room which is normally modeled on a normal police jail.
What was the outcome for students caught in the zero tolerance policy?
This article presents the outcomes for students caught up in the zero-tolerance policy from the perspective of the Black girls. The outcomes of the zero-tolerance policies are largely negative, especially to the student caught. Hines-Datiri and Dorinda (2017) write in the article that there are many various negative results linked to the use of the zero-tolerance policies to suspend or expel a student. For the Black girls, this practice disenfranchises them relative to their White American colleagues. Moreover, students punished under the zero-tolerance policies have high incidence of being involved in the juvenile offenses. Therefore, most of them end up being caught and locked in real police cells for convictions associated with delinquency. It implies that the school victimizing the Black girls through the use of the zero-tolerance policies ends up encouraging delinquency among the girls. All the affected Black girls worsen their behavior because of the psychological impact caused by the suspension or expulsion.
Did the article mention that the school also employed some violence prevention program or mediation system for students? If yes, describe it. If not, what should be done for the context of that school?
Although there are violence prevention programs and mediation systems, this article does not mention them in the school where Black girls are victimized. However, proposals are made for the school to implement alternative mediation systems and violence prevention programs which can help reduce the number of students caught by the zero-tolerance policy. Specifically, for the context of the school with Black and White girls, the disciplinary system must not be gendered. The article recommends the use of a disciplinary system which equitably treats all genders and races. Essentially, the article recommends that schools must not racialize disciplinary measures.
How do the findings of the article connect to your course readings? Draw connections.
The findings of the article are in connection with the course readings since they portray zero-tolerance policies as wrong and retrogressive in schools. Moreover, just like the course readings, the article presents suggestions for alternative disciplinary measures which are socially, academically, racially and gender friendly. Particularly, both the course readings and this article recommend implementation of violence prevention programs and mediation system in the schools.
What did you learn about zero tolerance from this article?
From this article, I have learnt that zero-tolerance policies are not recommendable for schools. Their outcomes are largely negative since they encourage delinquency, dropping out of school and under-achievement among youths. Moreover, racializing and gendering the zero-tolerance policies disadvantages the Black girls hence enhancing gender and racial inequality in the country.
Article 2
The second article chosen in this paper is Zero Tolerance Policies: Criminalizing Childhood and Disenfranchising the Next Generation of Citizens . This article was written by Mitchell David in the year 2014. It basically discusses the issue of zero-tolerance policies, specifically giving its impact on students.
How was zero tolerance defined?
This article defines zero-tolerance as the form of disciplinary action where students are suspended, expelled or referred to the juvenile justice system. This policy is applied on specified offenses committed by the students in the school. Mitchell (2014) notes that the zero-tolerance policies usually impose harsh punitive actions on the students without consideration of the severity of the infraction. The policies do not also give due consideration to the context in which an offense took place.
What student behaviors were defined as being allowed zero-tolerance?
The main behavior allowed zero-tolerance is school shooting. School shootings were in fact the origin of the zero-tolerance policies in learning places. The United States of America has been marred with incidents of students shooting their colleagues in the classroom. Additionally, there are also other behaviors which are now being allowed zero-tolerance including physical violence in the schools. Open show of rudeness and disrespect to the teachers is also being allowed zero-tolerance.
What was the school faculty’s role in implementing zero tolerance?
The teachers in the school have the role of exerting the punitive measures on the students. Teachers of the school make referrals to the juvenile justice system, suspend and expel the learners who are in offense.
What was the outcome for students caught in the zero tolerance policy?
Mitchell (2014) takes a general view of the outcomes of the zero-tolerance policies on the learners. According to Mitchell (2014), zero-tolerance policies amount to unfair criminalizing of students in schools. The article observes that most students who are punished may not even deserve such action if the context in which they committed the offense is considered. Mitchell (2014) faults the zero-tolerance policies in schools because due diligence and investigation is never carried to establish those who deserve such grave punitive actions. Moreover, the author notes that the overall result of the zero-tolerance policies is simply the disenfranchising the next generation of citizens. Most of those subjected to these policies end up dropping out of schools and failing in the entire life. Another common result is engagement in criminal activities.
Did the article mention that the school also employed some violence prevention program or mediation system for students? If yes, describe it. If not, what should be done for the context of that school?
There is no mention of violence prevention and mediation system implemented by the schools. However, there are recommendations made by the author in the article to achieve re-enfranchisement of the next generation of citizens. Mitchell (2014) recommends the removal of the zero-tolerance policies and instead sober violence prevention as well as mediation system implemented. In this case, the school can ensure all students are thoroughly searched before entering the school compound to identify those carrying dangerous material. Moreover, conflict resolution mechanisms for the students have to be implemented. These mechanisms may include suggestion boxes installed at strategic locations within the school compound. With the suggestion boxes, students can be raising their grievances and comments to the administration for prompt address.
How do the findings of the article connect to your course readings? Draw connections.
This article has strong connection with the course readings since they both fault the use of zero-tolerance policies in the school. The findings of the article include the fact that zero-tolerance policies are destroying the quality of the future generation. This same point is presented in the course readings which highlight the high number of students dropping out of school because of the zero-tolerance policies.
What did you learn about zero tolerance from this article?
I have learnt from this article that zero-tolerance policies in schools are a big threat to the future education and quality of the generation poised to take over the running of societal development agenda. Many schools are implementing zero-tolerance policies and in the end criminalizing children. Therefore, instead of schools being plants for production of resourceful young adults ready to assist the society achieve development; learning institutions are feeding the juvenile justice system with youthful criminals.
Article 3
The third article selected in this paper is titled A Study of Zero Tolerance Policies in Schools: A Multi-Integrated Systems Approach to Improve Outcomes for Adolescents . The author of the article is known as Steven Teske. It was written in year 2011. It discusses ways in which schools can improve outcomes of the disciplinary measures used on offensive students. Special reference is made to the zero-tolerance policies.
How was zero tolerance defined?
Teske (2011) defines zero-tolerance policies in this article as the philosophy which mandates application of pre-determined consequences including severe and punitive actions regardless of the seriousness of a given behavior, the available mitigating circumstances and context.
What student behaviors were defined as being allowed zero-tolerance?
The behaviors listed in the article as being allowed zero-tolerance policies include fighting, breaking windows during protests, organizing student protests, smoking and drinking alcohol and rudeness towards teachers. Contravening the school dress-code is also allowed zero-tolerance in many schools. Notably, schools have dress codes which are normally standard for all learners. A student who fails to work on teacher assignments given may also be subjected to the zero-tolerance disciplinary actions.
What was the school faculty’s role in implementing zero tolerance?
The role of teachers in this case involves sending the children home on suspension or expulsion and referring them to the police for incarceration. The teachers are also the ones who judge whether the offense has been committed or not. They also decide the punitive action to take.
What was the outcome for students caught in the zero tolerance policy?
According to Teske (2011), the use zero-tolerance policies victimizes and criminalizes students making most of them to drop out of schools and start engaging in delinquent behaviors. Moreover, under-achievement in education is yet another impact being caught by zero-tolerance policies. One’s educational progress is significantly disrupted by the expulsion or suspension hence causing them to fail in the classroom. A victim of zero-tolerance policies has no ample time for preparing to do examinations or even concentrate on the studies. The Black girls and boys affected by the zero-tolerance policies are more likely to drop out of school.
Did the article mention that the school also employed some violence prevention program or mediation system for students? If yes, describe it. If not, what should be done for the context of that school?
There is no program or system mentioned in the school. However, the author suggests use of a collaborative approach among stakeholders beyond the school boundaries including the juvenile justice system to make the zero-tolerance policies effective. Limiting the scope of the policies is recommended as an essential step. Dialogue among learners is also recommended as an effective way of averting incidences of violence in the school. Setting up a guiding and counseling department within the school to take up the role of arbitrating or mediating conflicting parties is also recommended. Where the zero-tolerance policies must be used, the article recommends limiting its scope in terms of the offenses or misbehaviors it covers.
How do the findings of the article connect to your course readings? Draw connections.
The findings of the article are in agreement with the course readings hence connected in the sense they admonish the use of zero-tolerance policies as set-up now for victimizing the pupils of color.
What did you learn about zero tolerance from this article?
I have learnt that zero-tolerance policies are retrogressive hence need to be reviewed with a view of limiting their scope and easiness with which they can be applied.
Compare and contrast the three articles. How were they similar? Different?
It stands out in the three articles that zero-tolerance policies are not healthy within the education sector. Fortunately, the three articles have logical recommendations regarding what can be done instead of haphazard application of the zero-tolerance policies. Moreover, all the three articles agree that zero-tolerance policies are not good because of their negative outcomes on the education system if the high number of drop-outs witnessed is considered.
Moreover, conflict prevention and resolution practices like dialogue and negotiation are recommended in the article. Arbitration is also recommended as an effective mediation system. Teachers are encouraged to take the role of arbiters in cases where students conflict so that violence incidences are minimized in the school.
The only difference in the three articles is on the alternative measures which have to be implemented instead of zero-tolerance policies. While article 1 recommends the total abolition of the policies, the other two suggest limiting its scope.
References
Hines-Datiri, D., & Dorinda C. A. (2017). The effects of zero tolerance policies on Black girls: Using critical race feminism and figured worlds to examine school discipline. Urban Education , 0042085917690204.
Mitchell, S. D. (2014). Zero tolerance policies: Criminalizing childhood and disenfranchising the next generation of citizens. Wash. UL Rev. , 92 , 271.
Teske, S. C. (2011). A study of zero tolerance policies in schools: A multi‐integrated systems approach to improve outcomes for adolescents. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing , 24 (2), 88-97.
