skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Report Critical of Discipline Methods in Arkansas Schools

play audio
Play

Wednesday, February 6, 2019   

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Arkansas schools rely too heavily on expulsion and corporal punishment to discipline students, according to a new report.

The study said spanking or expelling kids as disciplinary actions makes learning harder for students who are struggling to achieve, and rarely resolves the underlying problem.

Report author Ginny Blankenship, education policy director for the nonprofit Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, said outdated discipline policies often do more harm than good, especially for disadvantaged students.

"We found examples of schools that are kicking kids out for very minor, nonviolent offenses at far greater rates for children of color and children with special needs than their peers in the classroom," she said.

The study confirmed that disruptive students often are the ones who struggle the most with schoolwork. Blankenship said research shows that suspensions and spankings, which account for two-thirds of all disciplinary actions, are ineffective at improving student behavior. The report offered alternatives, such as the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support system, in which students can take responsibility and make amends for their actions.

The study is a product of recent measures by the Arkansas General Assembly, which mandate reporting of all cases of school discipline. Blankenship says it recommends that the state provide more resources to the Arkansas Department of Education for training and school personnel.

"We've got to have more school counselors available in schools across the state," she said. "Right now, we're really under-funding school counselor positions. We should have a ratio of no more than one to 400 students, and we often have one to 700 in some cases."

She said the report suggested a ban on corporal punishment and recommended strict limits on suspensions, particularly for students in the lower grades.

"In Arkansas last year, there were over 15,000 instances of students being hit by administrators. A lot of parents don't realize that that this is still the case. And Arkansas is one of only 19 states that still allows this to happen."

The report also called for including student discipline rates and methods as a gauge of school climate in each school's federal report as part of the "Every Student Succeeds Act."

The report is online at aradvocates.org.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


A 2022 report finds failing to speed up transmission beyond the current pace will increase 2030 U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions by 800 million tons per year. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021