Running Head: INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM DISCIPLINE PLAN

Interdisciplinary Team Discipline Plan

Sabrina Bogosian

Franciscan University of Steubenville

INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM DISCIPLINE PLAN 2

Expectations (Rules):

1) Be safe. School is a place where everyone should feel safe. In order to make that a

reality students will engage in only safe behaviors. This will include walking in the

building, keeping one’s hands to oneself, and following all staff instructions.

2) Be respectful. Being respectful involves treating every matter with care from

ourselves, to others, and even property. To show respect for themselves students will

come to school with a positive attitude and appropriate dress. To show respect for

others students will use kind words, listen when another person is speaking, and be

prompt in arriving and turning in assignments. To show respect for property students

will handle anything that does not belong to them as if it were their most prized

possession.

3) Be responsible. Students will come to class ready to learn, both mentally and

physically. This means that students will be open to participating in class activities

and have any necessary materials ready to go upon the start of class.

Consequences:

In this behavior curriculum plan, any student misconduct will be addressed with the following

consequences. Starting with the first consequence for first-time misconduct and moving to the

second, third, fourth and fifth each time the student repeats the misconduct. Alternatively, if a

behavior is quite severe or potentially harmful or dangerous, faculty may use their professional

judgment in selecting a consequence.

1) Redirection: inappropriate behavior will be identified and students will be reminded of an

appropriate replacement behavior.

2) Punishment: A student who has not responded positively to the redirection will

experience some consequence that is appropriately related to the behavior. For example,
INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM DISCIPLINE PLAN 3

if the student engages in off task talking with nearby peers, he or she will have his or her

seat moved. If the student exhibits misbehavior during a desirable activity, those

participation privileges will be temporarily revoked.

3) Referral to the principal: A student who does not respond positively to the intervention

after three implementations will be referred to the principal’s office.

4) Action: A student who has been referred to the principal’s office more than once, will

have a meeting with the teacher, the parents, and any other faculty connected to the

matter in order to discuss more extensive interventions and consequences.

Team Encouragement Strategies:

1) Respect: First and foremost, every member of the school community will be treated with

the utmost respect and kindness. Students, teachers, parents, administrators, and support

staff are all considered members of the school community. Respect indicates a

recognition of the inherent value that others hold as human beings and is the foundation

upon which a positive environment can be built.

2) Positivity: The second prominent encouragement strategy is positivity. School rules are

stated as expectations, to which students are expected to rise, rather than negative “don’t

statements” that imply a lack of belief in student abilities. Moreover, teachers and staff

should exude a positive and calm demeanor in all situations, especially those that are

most tumultuous. This will encourage the same from students and fellow staff.

3) Communication: Teachers will clearly communicate both academic and behavioral

expectations to their students. Students will be encouraged to clearly and respectfully

communicate any of their own misunderstandings or frustrations to a staff member that

can help mediate those issues.

INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM DISCIPLINE PLAN 4

4) Positive Reinforcement: Teachers and staff will provide students with behavior specific

praise when students are observed exhibiting positive behavior, especially positive

behavior specified in school expectations. Behavior specific praise entails praising the

student and identifying the positive behavior. For example a teacher might say, “Nice job

Sarah! I love the way you raised your hand to ask a question. That is showing some

serious respect!” This positive reinforcement should be nearly continuous at the

beginning of the school year and fade to an intermittent schedule as the year goes on in

order to maintain the positive behavior.

Team Procedures:

1) Procedures for Absentees:

a. Students may be excused from school by reasons of illness, medical or dental

appointments, legal appointments, family emergencies, funerals, and

important religious holidays.

b. All other absences will be considered unexcused.

c. Should a student need to miss school, a parent or guardian will be required to

call the office between the hours of 8:00AM and 10:00AM in order to notify

the school and provide a reason for his or her absence.

d. Office personnel will log the absence and notify the student’s teachers.

e. Upon the student’s return from an excused absence, he or she will be

responsible for making up any assignments or tests that he or she has missed.

2) Make-up Tests:

a. Tests may be made up if the student has missed a test with an excused

absence.
INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM DISCIPLINE PLAN 5

b. The student who has missed a test will be responsible for contacting the

teacher to arrange a time to make-up said test.

c. The student making up a test will not inquire peers about test material.

3) Time Between Classes:

a. Students will have six minutes between each class.

b. Students will exhibit appropriate and mature behavior between classes.

Appropriate behavior includes walking, speaking at a reasonable volume, and

taking care of any personal needs. Personal needs may include: using the

restroom, getting a drink of water, switching books at their lockers, etc.

4) Extra Credit:

a) One test per class may have extra credit applied to it. After taking the test, and

before receiving the grade, the student must approach the teacher and receive

permission to begin extra credit for the test.

b) Extra credit opportunities are pre-determined, and will include a 1 minute

presentation to the class.

c) At the beginning of the school year, each student is supplied with (x) number of

bathroom passes. At the end of the school year, any unused bathroom passes may

be redeemed for an extra 5 points on the assignment of the student’s choice (tests

excluded).

Parent Conference Format:

Oftentimes, parent-teacher conferences may be seen in a negative light. However, in this

curriculum plan, parent-teacher conferences will be seen as a beneficial opportunity for parents

and teachers to collaborate for the good of the students. Effective communication between

teachers and families is of the utmost importance for providing a quality education. As such,
INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM DISCIPLINE PLAN 6

teachers will be expected to schedule the time necessary so that every parent is offered the

opportunity to conference with his or her student’s teacher. Teacher will contact all parents

through their already specified preferred forms of communication to make this opportunity

known. Additionally, teachers will be encouraged to schedule additional meeting times with

parents as necessary. These additional meeting times may serve as a time to speak with parents

who have a student who could benefit from increased teacher-parent contact or occasionally as a

time to speak with parents of children who have merited special praise.

During a parent-teacher conference, teachers must first and foremost exude respect and

an openness to listen to what the parent would like to discuss. Teachers must remember that

parents can be considered experts on their children. As such, their opinions are important and

deserving of full attention. Additionally, teachers must be prepared to communicate a detailed

picture of the student’s current academic achievement, discuss specific positive behaviors

exhibited by the student, discuss any areas of concern, and provide concrete examples that may

aid the conversation. Parent-teacher conferences should end on a positive note with the teacher

thanking the parent for their time and ideas.

School “Community” Plan:

In today’s age where isolation and loneliness run rampant in our society, it is important

now more than ever that schools foster a sense of community. George and Alexander (2003)

indicate that people make friends by doing things together. Therefore, the team will incorporate

monthly spirit days, bimonthly fieldtrips and clean up days, holiday parties, and an annual talent

show. Teachers are strongly encouraged to participate in all of the team activities in some way.

Additionally, since classroom the environment can be further enhanced by positive

reinforcement of all students’ achievements, an annual recognition assembly will be held to

recognize one achievement of each student. The assembly will take place at the end of the school
INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM DISCIPLINE PLAN 7

day so that parents can attend. This is key not only because parents play vital roles in the school

community but also because positive relationships between schools and families help to promote

the success of all students.

Discipline Plan:

This curriculum plan emphasizes operant conditioning, or the attempt to modify behavior

through the application of reinforcement or punishment (McLeod, 2015). The theory of operant

conditioning is based on the work of B.F. Skinner who proposed that when a person is met with a

pleasant stimulus (positive reinforcement) or has an aversive stimulus taken away (negative

reinforcement) as a result of his or her behavior, the behavior would be more likely to occur

again. Whereas, if a person is met with an aversive stimulus (positive punishment) or has a

positive stimulus taken away (negative punishment) as a result of his or her behavior, the

behavior would be less likely to occur again. Teachers can manipulate these principles of

reinforcement and punishment to manage student behavior. They can be used to increase

desirable behaviors such as turning in homework, or decrease problematic behavior such as

calling out.
INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM DISCIPLINE PLAN 8

References

George, P. S., & Alexander, W. M. (2003). The exemplary middle school. Belmont, CA:

Thomson/Wadsworth.

Mcleod, S. (2015). Skinner's theory of operant conditioning. Retrieved from

https://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html

Alexander, William M., and Paul S. George. The Exemplary Middle School. New York: Holt,

Rinehart and Winston, 1981. Print.

Joyner (Melito), H. S. (2016). Curriculum Mapping: A Before-and-After Look at Faculty

Perceptions of Their Courses and the Mapping Process. Journal Of Food Science

Education, 15(2), 63-69. doi:10.1111/1541-4329.12085

Marsh, C. J., & Willis, G. (2007). Curriculum : alternative approaches, ongoing issues. Upper

Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, c2007.

Ridgway, T. (2015). The Hidden Curriculum. South Dakota Medicine: The Journal Of The South

Dakota State Medical Association, 68(8), 335.

Squires, D. A. (2014). Curriculum : District Stories of a Path to Improved Achievement.

Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.