Effects of Classroom Circles on Middle School in-School and out-of-School Suspension Reports

This mixed-methods outcomes study investigated the number of in-school and out-of-school suspension reports before and after the implementation of a preventative-based discipline method, classroom circles. The study was guided by five research questions, (1) What is the relationship between the use of classroom circles school-wide and ISS and OSS behavior reports in a low income school? (2) Are classroom circles more or less effective at decreasing ISS and OSS reports for certain grade levels? (3) Is there variation in the effectiveness of classroom circles for decreasing ISS and OSS for students of certain demographics such as gender, race, and socioeconomic status? (4) Are circles more or less effective in decreasing ISS and OSS reports for students in a particular educational setting (individual, group, direct instruction)? (5) What are the strengths and weaknesses of using classroom circles from a teacher point of view? Data was collected from a Title I middle school in Bay County, FL. Discipline reports from three years prior to (2013-2014 to 2015-2016) and three years after (2016-2017 to 2018-2019) the implementation of classroom circles were analyzed. Two-way ANOVAs were used to find differences in discipline rates between students groups such as grade level, gender, race/ethnicity, and class setting before and after implementing circles. T-tests were used to further compare student groups on pre and post data. Interview data on the strengths and weaknesses of classroom circles was also collected from teachers that were at the school for all six years. The quantitative findings suggested there was a significant difference in mean discipline reports before and after the implementation of circles at the .05 level for eighth grade OSS reports, Caucasian student ISS reports, individual work ISS reports, whole group work ISS reports, whole group work OSS reports, and unstructured work OSS reports. There was a decrease in mean discipline reports per student population across most dependent variables. The qualitative findings suggest that circles improve student-teacher communication and respect. Furthermore circles were useful as a social emotional tool after the impacts of Hurricane Michael on the community. It was brought to light that teachers need time, training, and incentives to efficiently implement classroom circles. Overall, this study provides information on the outcomes of implementing classroom circles school-wide and recommendations for future implementation.