Policy Analysis: Discipline Policy
Name
Institution
Policy Analysis: Discipline Policy
Interviews
In order to identify the polices put in place in New Jersey, I interviewed the principal for Cherry Hill School and compared the findings with those garnered from the School District of Philadelphia. I particularly concentrated on the discipline policy in the two districts.
To begin with, I sought to find out whether there is a formal policy on discipline in New Jersey. In response to this, M. Smith,(the principal in charge, 2016: 2024 – Do my homework – Help write my assignment online) responded that indeed there is an official code of conduct that spells how students are required to carry themselves in the school and their interrelationship with their peers as well as the members of staff. “The code of conduct stipulates the expected requirements of the students, how the students relate with the other students of diverse origins and culture and the equally diversified members of staff” M. Smith observed. He further unveiled that the code of conduct’s scope is quite wide as it also provides guidelines to the administrators on how to relate with the students. The principal from the district of Philadelphia on the other hand explained that their policy on discipline is formal and every student joining the school is required to understand it and sign against it as a way of showing that they are ready to abide to it before enrolment. “Our code of conduct is based on three major pillars: respect, responsibility and citizenship.” W. Washington said. He further added that the code of conduct ensures that the opinions of students are adhered to in a bid to create a favourable environment that fosters learning within the facility. “Learning, talent development as well as mentorship can never be achieved without a frame work that guides how students and other stake holders relate within and beyond the boundaries of the facility in which they are learning.” He insisted.
The Need of the Policy
A discipline policy is critical for any organization of learning. To begin with, the policy forms the basis on which students’ social behaviours are guided so as to accommodate everyone in the setting. This way, the issue of uniformity and common understanding is fostered thus creating harmony which enables the learning to prosper. Secondly, the policy provides a safe environment for the entire school community. Philadelphia District School principal explained that the safety of the students as well as that of the workers in the school is of critical importance. As a result, the district put the code of conduct in place to safeguard this need. The discipline policy provides the expectations which are set for all the students so as to ensure that the school safety is well guarded. It also stipulates the disciplinary action that is taken against any individual who violates the discipline policy. Circumstantially, every student remains forewarned of the consequences of violating the code of conduct. Since everyone wants to be in school, the policy has so far worked in favour of the school’s success.
Similarity of the Policies
I identified several similarities in the two discipline policies in the two districts. One of the most profound common factors is the focus on all types of students including students with disabilities. In both policies, guidelines on how to deal with students with disability within the school setting are set clear. These guidelines are aimed at ensuring that these students access fair treatment from each other and that they also do not take advantage of the others because of their situation. Secondly, the disciplinary action taken against people who violate the code of conduct is made clear on the policies for the two districts. In the two guidelines, the expectations of the students and the consequences of failing to meet the expectations are laid down clearly for the student. Similarly, the administration is provided with a systematic guideline on how to deal with a student who fails to meet the standard stipulated in the policy. It was clear that in both districts, the action taken against a violator of the code of conduct is guided by the nature of the behaviour that led to the violation as well as the history of the student.
Differences in the Policies
There were a few differences between the two district policies on discipline. While the New Jersey district policy tended to cover all factors holistically the Philadelphia district policy was student centred. In the Philadelphia policy, all the set rules and regulation point to how the student should relate to his or her peers, staff members and the administration and the consequences that the student may face upon violating the set standards. On the other hand, the New Jersey district discipline policy is wide and touches on the three parties involved in a school set up. It guides the students on how to behave, guides the parent or guardian on what to expect on the student as well as what is expected of them and finally it stipulates how the administration is supposed to harmonise all these factors. This makes it more comprehensive than the latter.
Strengths of the Discipline Policies
The major strength of the Philadelphia discipline policy is that it exhausts all the expectations that are set on the student behaviour with respect to the students’ relation with other people within the school setting. Since it concentrates fully on the student and the administration, it sets clear, well detailed expectations and a thorough guideline on how to behave. It even goes further to exhaust on the attendance behaviour of the student. On the other hand, the New Jersey policy is strong due to its wide scope. It touches on all aspects and leaves nothing to assumption. All parties involved in a school setting are advised on how to relate with the student for a dependable environment. Its ability to capture all these aspect makes it a reference material even in times of disputes. It is easy to solve problems involving all the three parties and reach to an amicable decision based on the policy.
Shortcomings of the Policies
Each of the policies showed a certain level of flaws. The Philadelphia policy for instance seems to concentrate more on the students thus giving a blind spot on the other parties involved in the school setting. Consequently, it would be hard to solve disputes that involve a student and other parties. On the other hand, as the New Jersey policy seeks to touch on all facets of the parties involved, it misses some important details on the student’s expectations.
Match Between the Vision and the Policy
The vision of New Jersey is that “All students can learn”. The discipline policy makes this possible by ensuring that there is an enabling environment within the school. Conducive environment is created through adherence to the policy set and the code of conduct conjured in it to guide the students to relate safely with each other. Equally, the vision of the Philadelphia schools is to ensure that knowledge is available for all irrespective of the differences which is well covered in the policy.
The Policy and Culture
In both districts, schools have for a long time maintained cultures that nurture diversity and accommodation of people hailing from different backgrounds. These backgrounds differ in race, social classes, economic abilities and political affiliations. The discipline policy has been instrumental in ensuring that all the students are equally accommodated and that none of the students feels discriminated in any way. Moreover, the fact that the two policies focus on the wellbeing of students with disability makes it even more useful in perpetuating the culture of diversity. In addition, it is the culture of the Philadelphia district schools to solve all disputes in accordance with the state and federal laws. The discipline policy provides the connection that relates the code of conduct with the other laws. This happens because the policy is made with careful consideration of the requirement of other legal bodies within the region in which the school is situated. With the help of the discipline policy, the students can interact with each other ethically without violating each other’s rights. For instance, New Jersey discipline policy has an extensive section that covers the rights of each and every student in the district. With a clear understanding of the personal rights as well as the rights of the peers, the students are able to interact safely thus creating an environment that is favourable for learning. As a matter of fact, both policies contain expulsion procedure which is a way of keeping elements of disobedience and consistent violators of the policy.
How to Change the Policy
In regard to the Philadelphia district discipline policy, I would try as much as possible to incorporate other parties involved in a school setting and bring them on board by considering their relationship with the students in details. For example, the parent or the guardian is a very critical facet of the school community. Highlighting their contribution in the way the students works towards meeting the expectations of the policy would be a great move that would help solve conflicts related to discipline. On the other hand, the New Jersey policy can be improved by ensuring that it covers comprehensively on what the student is bound to do to ensure that there is smooth relation within the school setting. This improvement would be met by adding some more information on areas such as; School attendance requirements and the various ways that the administration may deal with such cases.
References
CHERRY HILL SCHOOL DISTRICT. (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay). CHERRY HILL SCHOOL DISTRICT . Retrieved:https://essays.homeworkacetutors.com/write-my-essay/chclc.org/uploaded/Our_District/Student_Code_of_Conduct/ES_FINAL_Code_of_Conduct_2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay.2015 – Research Paper Writing Help Service_%28rev.%29.pdf.
School Reform Commission. (2016: 2024 – Do my homework – Help write my assignment online). 2015 – Research Paper Writing Help Service-2016: 2024 – Do my homework – Help write my assignment online Code of Conduct. Retrieved: https://essays.homeworkacetutors.com/write-my-essay/phila.k12.pa.us/offices/administration/policies/CodeofConduct.pdf.
