Patterns in Middle School Discipline Records

Two exploratory studies describe chronic discipline problems as recorded in referrals to the principal. In the first study, students who were chronically referred throughout their middle school career were identified (n = 18). In addition to establishing that each student had a problem of long duration, a measure of the density of the behavior problem was taken (i.e., the highest number of referrals received in a single term). Two contrasting groups were formed to develop hypotheses about which events in the first term of Grade 6 predicted continued discipline problems. The second study was a comparison of discipline patterns for violent behaviors (e.g., fighting, vandalism, harassment) and nonviolent behaviors (e.g., disruption, skipping class, insubordination) for students with serious discipline problems (n = 36) from three middle schools. The use of school discipline referral patterns is discussed as a means of checking the need for additional assessments (e.g., functional assessments of problem behaviors, social skills assessments), enhancing our understanding of students' problem behaviors, and constructing preventive interventions.