Discipline in Special Education and General Education Settings.

Discipline is of utmost concern to educators and is viewed by the American public as a major problem in education (Gallup, 1984, 1994). State legislators and Congress also view it as a major problem in our nation's schools--one that must be solved. Many reasons are cited for the lack of discipline in school settings: for example, low teacher salaries, insufficient funding for education, lack of parental support, and a disregard for authority by students. Many of these problems are beyond the control of educators but must not be used as an excuse for why discipline problems cannot be ameliorated. Rather, educators must focus on identifying and addressing the individual needs of students, improving the educational environment, using effective prevention and intervention techniques, and building collaborative partnerships. Although the majority of students do not present discipline problems, even a small number of students who engage in negative behavior can disrupt the learning environment and divert teacher time from instruction to manage the situation. Therefore, educators must establish a system of order that clearly defines the boundaries for acceptable behavior and provides consequences for appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Discipline can be defined as" ... order among pupils so learning can take place without competition from unproductive factors. It is a system of rules for conduct and a mechanism for ensuring that conduct codes are followed" (Smith & Rivera, 1993, p. 2). A system of classroom order can be achieved when principles of effective discipline are implemented: