The proliferation of new data collection trends and gathering techniques for data analytics in schools has led to a sharp decrease in disciplinary incidents at those schools jumping on the new analytic wave. According to a new study conducted by Tulane University’s Education Research Alliance, incidents that required disciplinary correction among the student populace fell by an eye-popping 72% in schools that used data collection to identify disciplinary issues in students.

The study highlighted 70 public schools in Louisiana who have started to use analytics software to track the positive and negative behaviors of students in their schools. With this information at their fingertips and a more acute view of hotbeds for potential disciplinary issues, these schools have been able to be proactive and find ways to curb incidents before they happen.

Giving Teachers The Tools To Help Troubled Students Before Trouble Strikes

In correlation with the Tulane University Education Research Alliance study, select Louisiana schools were given access to Kickboard analytics software to be used to track both the negative and positive behaviors of their student populace. 

Each student had a unique profile created by teachers who inputted behavioral data via either smartphone apps or Chromebooks. By doing so, teachers and administrators were able to view behavioral trends in students before they blew up into major disciplinary issues – staging interventions or helping those students in one-on-one sessions before things took a turn.

This proactive disciplinary approach had massive positive effects within the schools spotlighted by the study. Spread out over a six-year study span, the number of suspension days given to students for disciplinary issues fell by an astounding 52%. Furthermore, graduation rates at these schools increased by a staggering 30 points to 85%.

While identifying disciplinary issues early and acting on them in a proactive fashion was crucial in these powerfully positive statistical trends, the study also led to a rethink in school discipline and how it is carried out that could very well prove as a turning point invariance of disciplinary actions taken against majority student and minority student populaces.

Can Proactive Discipline Stop The School-To-Prison Pipeline?

Research conducted on the alarming amount of students who leave school and find themselves within the prison system soon thereafter has forced a rethink in how school discipline is carried out.

With the help of analytics software, the 70 schools under the umbrella of the aforementioned study were able to build relationships with troubled students and set clear expectations prior to any demonstrative disciplinary outbursts.

Furthermore, it helped these schools to rethink their disciplinary actions and find common ground in how they carry out disciplinary action among the entire student populace. Building consistency in disciplinary action and eliminating reliance on suspensions as a punishment helped these schools reach students of all colors and behavioral histories before such a punishment became necessary.

A recent study shows a negative correlation between a suspension handed out and test scores within the same school year. Suspensions have been shown to decrease intrinsic student motivation and potentially lead to bigger disciplinary issues outside of school grounds.

Concluding Thoughts

With the help of data analytics software and a proactive (and constructive) approach to disciplinary action, schools may be able to decrease their reliance on potentially harmful suspensions and focus on building up students before they act out.