The Zero Tolerance School Policies - 856 Words

Individual Synthesis Paper While working on this project, I have learned and contributed so much on the topic â€Å"zero tolerance school policies†. There are some important key concepts from the course that connect with my project that I will be discussing. I will also be talking about what it takes to be an ally and why we chose our ally. Considering a critical social theory lens is very important as well and I will be discussing this too. I learned so much from working on this project. To begin, I learned the history behind why zero tolerance school policies exist. These strict policies were created in response to the Columbine shooting. Essentially, they remove situational discretion from school officials and institute mandated minimum penalties that often include police involvement for drug, weapon, and violence offenses on school grounds. I now have a better understanding about how these policies work well for students who are not at all inclined to be a threat, but hav e little influence over students who want to bring great harm to others. I also learned in what ways zero tolerance policies effect students lives. These policies lead to increased rates of school dropout, discriminatory application of school discipline practices, and fuel the school-to-prison-pipeline. In addition, they reinforce students’ identities as â€Å"problem students† and limits student opportunity to learn. The factors that promote this are suspension, expulsion, citations, and arrests used to handleShow MoreRelatedZero Tolerance Policies And School Discipline10009 Words   |  41 PagesResearch suggests that policies and practices have created a dilemma that has plagued our education system, as well as our society as a whole, that funnels millions of students from school into the juvenile justice system (Robinson, 2013). This dilemma, known as the school-to-prison pipeline is garnering much attention in Virginia due to the states continued issues in overco ming the phenomenon. This study explores zero tolerance policies and school discipline to better understand its effect in toRead MoreZero Tolerance Policies in American Schools Essay874 Words   |  4 Pagesform of discipline known as a zero tolerance policy. While the exact wording is different from school to school, basically a zero tolerance policy means that a student is immediately suspended, asked to attend an alternative school, or expelled if they are suspected or caught doing certain things. These policies are in place to hopefully deter students from doing drugs or being violent, but the ethics behind them are questionable. Some research has shown that these policies may not even work, and otherRead MoreUse and Application of the Zero Tolerance Policy in American Schools1773 Words   |  8 Pages In an effort to maintain peace, safety and a disciplined environment conducive to effective teaching and learning, many schools have adopted the zero tolerance policy. This philosophy was originally created in the 1990’s as an approach towards drug enforcement to address the rampant use, possession and sales of drugs in schools (Jones, 2013). Today, this policy is used to mandate the application of pre-determined consequences of violation of stated rules. These rules may pertain to a number of issues;Read MoreThe Zero Tolerance Policies Is Defined As A School Policy That Mandates Uniform Consequences1747 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Zero tolerance polices are defined as a school policy that mandates uniform consequences for specific offences. These predetermined punishments do not take into account any mitigating factors including the circumstances, disciplinary history, or the age of the student (Findlay, 2008, p. 112). This definition will be further examined later in this paper and the inherent flaws in the zero tolerance policy approach will be discussed. Zero tolerance policies stem from the notion that schools areRead MoreSchools Should Eliminate the Use of Zero-Tolerance Policies Essay969 Words   |  4 Pages The public schools of the United States, despite their proud past, are currently experiencing many difficulties. They seem to be under constant scrutiny and pressure to produce higher academic achievement and at the same time are being criticized by large segments of society. It is no secret that the environment which students experience in the public schools has changed greatly over the past twenty to thirty years, but there are many possible reasons for this; most of these explanations do notRead MoreCriminalization at School: Zero-Tolerance Discipline Policies Might Be Damaging to Students1309 Words   |  6 Pagesrecommendation for expulsion because his school administrators believed he flashed a gang sign although he was simply putting up three fingers to represent his football jersey number. (NPR Isensee, 2014). This kind of criminalization of young people contributes to suspension, dropout, and incarceration, and too often pushes students into what is referred to by many ed ucation scholars and activists as the â€Å"school-to-prison pipeline,† a term that refers to â€Å"the policies and practices that push our nation’sRead MoreShould They Stay or Should They Go?: A Look at Zero-Tolerance Policies in Schools 1022 Words   |  5 PagesUniversity of Texas, California State University, San Diego State University, the list of school violence is long and heart-breaking. Students and teachers have lost their lives by the dozens to gunmen that carried a grudge for some reason or another. These are extreme cases, for sure, and there is without a doubt a need for discipline in schools every where. However, zero-tolerance policies are not the answer to school discipline unless they can be reformed to have fewer gray areas and kept from beingRead MoreZero Tolerance Policies Are Ineffective And Creates More Harm Than Good For High School Education Essay1314 Words   |  6 Pagesnegative aspects concerning zero-tolerance policies in high school ed ucation. The use of reports, mental development research, and examples will provide sufficient evidence that zero tolerance policies are ineffective and creates more harm than good for high school students. To address the need for attention, alternative recommendations will provide positive results if adopted and implemented correctly in school districts. No to Zero-Tolerance Policies in High Schools Education Even though the publicRead MoreArgument Essay: Zero Tolerance Policy1597 Words   |  7 PagesChicken Finger Wars: A Discussion on School Zero Tolerance Policies On April 20, 1999, in the small town of Littleton, Colorado, two high-school students named Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris committed one of the most gruesome and heinous school shootings to date. They carried out a meticulously planned assault on Columbine High School during the middle of the school day. The boys original plan was to kill hundreds of their peers. Armed with guns, knives, and a multitude of bombs, the two boysRead MoreThe Effects Of Tolerance On Schools And Schools924 Words   |  4 PagesPolicies, at micro, mezzo, and macro levels, affect our schools and students every day and constitute the foundation of educational standards in North American schools; to say that students are unaffected on a micro level would be dismissive, ignorant, and narrow minded. Additionally, disregarding existing policies and practices in educational institutions and their potential interactions and effects with new policies and practices would be a grievous oversight in the decision-makin g process. Zero