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Abstract
Discipline in todays public school is under continuous scrutiny. Educators continually search for techniques and programs that will help reduce discipline problems while helping the disruptive child continue the educational process. In-school suspension is one way to help the disruptive child as well as the students left in the classroom whose education is often hindered by the distractions caused by unruly students. In this study each child that could be tracked from their first referral to The Learning Enhancement Classroom, in kindergarten or first grade, until completion of fifth grade was identified. Once these students were identified, data were collected. Upon retrieval of all data each childs discipline history was charted and graphed so that the researcher was able to determine if a pattern existed. When this had been established the researcher was able to describe each childs discipline history. The researcher was also able to make observations about the group of students as well. Nine students from the 1996-97 school year and four students from the 1997-98 school year were tracked. In addition to these 13 students were nine students who are currently in the fifth grade and were only tracked through fourth grade. A z score was calculated to determine if the change in proportions of number of students referred to LEC was significant. There was no significant difference in the change in proportions of number of students referred in kindergarten through fourth grade in the 13 students that were tracked through the fifth grade. However, there was a significant increase in the change in proportions of number of students referred in fifth grade. When the other nine students were added there was a significant decrease in the change in proportions from kindergarten to first, kindergarten to second, kindergarten to third, and kindergarten to fourth. The mean number of students referrals by grade was also calculated. A dependent t-test was calculated to test the difference in the means. There was no significant difference in the mean number of students referrals.