Responsible Discipline Process
Initial Evaluation Report, 2001-02

The following excerpt delineates findings from the initial evaluation report of the Guilford County Schools Responsible Discipline Process (a Foundations and CHAMPs project). The complete report is available as a PDF.

RDP Outcome

Fourteen Guilford County Schools participated in RDP during the 2001-02 school year. Four schools (three elementary and one middle) achieved Full Implementation and four schools (elementary) reached the Partial Implementation stage. The remaining six schools experienced a slower rate of implementation impacted by their participation in other initiatives and changes. The following outcomes relate to the eight Full and Partial Implementation schools only.

Staff perceptions of school safety and civility (measured by the RDP Staff Survey):

• A comparison of the results of the initial administration [of the survey] to the most recent Spring 2002 administration reveals that both Full and Partial Implementation schools demonstrated an increase in the percentage of staff who perceived the school to be safe and civil.
• Full Implementation Elementary Schools demonstrated greater improvements in staff perceptions of school safety and civility than Partial Implementation Elementary Schools.

The number of office referrals for rule violations:

• Full and Partial Implementation Elementary Schools evidenced a decrease in the number of referrals to the office from Spring 2001 to Spring 2002, while the Full Implementation Middle School demonstrated an increase during that time.**

Trends in suspension rates from 1998-99 to 2001-02:

• Full and Partial Implementation Elementary Schools demonstrated a slight increase in suspension rates from 1998-99 to 2001-02,** while the Full Implementation Middle School demonstrated a decrease in out-of-school and in-school suspensions during that time.



Teacher ratings of their knowledge and use of effective classroom management practices following CHAMPs training (Full Implementation schools only):

• Teachers reported an increase in their understanding of effective classroom management practices following training.
• Over 90% of teachers reported that they fully or partially implemented the techniques learned in training and found the practices to be effective for improving student behavior.
  

Conclusions

• Full or partial implementation of RDP is associated with positive changes in several measures of a school's safety and civility.
• 2) Schools achieving full implementation status achieved more positive outcomes than schools achieving partial implementation status.
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** The authors of the report attribute the increases in referrals and suspensions cited above to "the consistent application of behavioral expectations among the staff and the gradual implementation of effective behavior management strategies."

Download a PDF of the complete report.