Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was: (1) to examine the extent to which high schools in Los Angeles County use alternatives to out-of-school suspension for students who have committed suspendable offenses; (2) to describe the various models in use with an emphasis on program goals, description of program, finance, staff involvement, parent communication, referral process, and program evaluation; and (3) to identify those elements that are perceived to support or impede the various in-school suspension programs. Methodology. This study used a descriptive research methodology and is a replication of a study conducted by Dr. George Jaeger with minor revisions. The findings of the study were derived from questionnaires that were mailed to high schools in Los Angeles County with a student population of one thousand or more. Findings. All high schools reported implementing an alternative to out-of-school suspension programs for students who commit suspendable offenses. Most schools utilize an alternative program model with a combination of many strategies, an average of 3.1 different strategies in each model. Conclusions. In-school suspension derives its popularity from the fact that disruptive students are removed from the regular classroom setting for a prescribed amount of time, thereby minimizing the potential regular classroom disruptions and providing an environment more conducive to learning. Counseling services for students referred to an alternative program are prohibitive due to limited funding for school sites to operate their alternative programs. Recommendations. Recommendations for further research included a study to explore the rate of recidivism for students referred to an alternative program, a study exploring the various reasons a student is referred to an alternative program, and a study on the effectiveness of alternative programs that are focused on providing mental health services.