Take Action in Secondary Schools
SECTION IV:
Policies and Guidelines
What are Some Ideas for Alternative Sanctions?
Schools can consider an array of options to offer students and their families as alternatives to the standard suspensions for substance use related infractions.
Some of these might include: writing a small research paper on a particular substance or current legislation/legal issues, to have the student help out your school OSAID group, become involved in drug awareness activities, or to offer a reduced suspension if certain criteria are met.
You are encouraged to be creative with your ideas and to ‘think outside of the box'. When possible, create partnerships, involve local community agencies and the police, include students, parents and parent councils. Obviously, the ultimate goal is to support the students' well-being and success. However, bear in mind that although schools and school drug policies can contribute, they are not expected to, or be held fully accountable for, preventing or reducing student's drug use.
Examples:
Alternative assessment and education program:
One example of an alternative to the long-term substance use related suspension that has been successful is to offer an assessment and education program to students and their families. It is based on a community partnership between the school board and the local addiction treatment agency.
Options are not always possible, some activities may result in mandatory suspension (e.g., drug trafficking).
The school representative meets with the student and family and offers a reduction in the number of suspended days by half with the agreement (in both verbal and written form) to meeting specific criteria. The student commits to six assessment and counselling sessions, two family and four individual, plus a five section curriculum designed to raise awareness, build self-esteem, and develop social skills. The school commits to reducing the 20 day suspension to a 10 day suspension. Upon agreement, the school makes the referral to the agency.
The program begins once the student is suspended, with three of the six sessions in the first two weeks, and continues until he/she returns to school.
Conferencing and restorative justice:
Another example of an alternative approach, that is consistent with building and sustaining a positive school community environment, focuses on the use of conferencing as a restorative justice practice. Restorative justice describes a philosophy of repairing harm done to people and relationships, rather than on punishing offenders. Conferencing describes a collaborative process, in which various parties, including offenders, victims, family, friends, authorities, and community members, meet to mediate a positive resolution.
Applied to substance use issues in educational settings, conferences or circles could provide a positive and healthy opportunity for students to share their feelings, problem solve, and play an active role in correcting the situation. (See www.safersanerschools.org for more information.)
