Nichelle Hendricks, Stephanie Flores-Koulish, Ph.D.

The Use of Educational Strategies to Maintain Consistency with Juveniles During Times of Disruption

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Education is a foundation for individuals to become functional members of society; however, this often poses a challenge for at-risk youth. Students with special needs (specifically a label of “Emotional Disturbance”) sometimes endure disruptions in their education due to behavioral infractions in the community. In addition, the implementation of zero tolerance policies (suspensions, expulsions) in schools for minor behavioral infractions causes a negative impact emotionally and educationally on the student with special needs. As a result of these schooling disruptions, the students often do not maintain or continue to earn credit towards their high school diploma. When these students return to a traditional school setting or an alternative school program, they sometimes understandably become discouraged due to the time missed in school to earn credits to graduate on time. What if there was an innovation that could assist such juveniles with continuing and maintaining high school credit during times of disruption? With the assistance of fellow educators in a non-public and alternative school setting, this researcher will seek out various educational strategies to help maintain consistency in a student’s education within a non-traditional school setting. The purpose of this research is to seek ways to maintain consistency among students with special needs to continue earning credits towards their diploma during times of educational disruption.