Submitted by John Arbeeny.
At the 10 January 2022 Clover Park School Board meeting Director David Anderson made motion “that the school Board have on its regular agenda, as soon as time for relevant reports are prepared, the subject of school discipline.” The motion, seconded by Director Paul Wagemann, was passed unanimously by the Board.
This article is a preliminary analysis of disciplinary issues within the Clover Park School District by school year, school, race, and offenses.
During door-belling thousands of homes in the last Clover Park school board campaign oft heard were complaints from the public, to include District teachers and staff, about school discipline.
An examination of 123 individual Board meeting minutes back to 2017 failed to reveal a single Board meeting that addressed the topic of District discipline comprehensively.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request 21-103 to Clover Park School District resulted in an Excel spreadsheet that allowed analysis of discipline data 2017-2021.
The figures presented may represent only the tip of the iceberg as is the case in policing where less than 50% of even serious crimes go unreported and half of those reported are actually solved.
The FOIA request contained 36,118 instances on 1,063 pages of disciplinary offenses over the last 5 years. Below are the numbers of disciplinary offenses by year. The school year has been calculated at 180 days.
BY SCHOOL YEAR
- 2017 – 10,570 offenses, 29%, 59 offenses daily.
- 2018 – 11,426 offenses, 32%, 63 offenses daily.
- 2019 – 9,829 offenses, 27%, 55 offenses daily.
- 2020 – 3,113 offenses, 9%. Covid shut schools down in March 2020 through September, 2021.
- 2021 – 1,180 offenses, 3%. From September 1, 2021, with data provided ending November 23, 2021.
Using data for September-November 2017 -2019 the number of disciplinary offenses averaged 3,460 for that three month period during those three years. Yet the number of disciplinary issues for September – November 2021 was only 1,080, a drop 71%. This drop may be linked to elimination of “zero tolerance discipline” supported by the District and OSPI.
“Zero tolerance discipline” is essentially the reporting and disciplining each and every infraction regardless of race or ethnicity. Ending “zero tolerance discipline” would instead view disciplinary offenses through the “lens of equity” which is to say race or ethnicity of the offender: discipline on a “curve” of sorts.
When you fail to report disciplinary offenses, the offense rate goes down! The ending of “zero tolerance discipline” is supported by the District, the Clover Park Association of School Principals (CPASP) and directed by the Office of the Secretary of Public Instruction (OSPI). Whether a “kinder, gentler” approach to discipline based upon race or ethnicity reduces disciplinary offenses remains to be seen but if criminality trends in the general populace are any indication I suspect not.
Here are the 36,118 disciplinary offenses between 2017 and 2021 broken out by school with the percentage of the total offenses and student population.
BY SPECIFIC SCHOOL
- CPHS: 8,545 (23%) (1,283 students)
- Lakes HS: 5,666 (16%) (1,295 students)
- Harrison: 661 (2%) (Includes ages both in middle and high school) (713 students)
- Hudtloff: 7,320 (20%) (744 students)
- Lochburn: 6,507 (18%) (626 students)
- Mann/Woodbrook/Thomas (consolidated) 2,886 (8%) (508 students)
- All elementary schools (21) combined: 4,533 (13%) (6,696 students)
Eighty-five (85%) percent of disciplinary offenses are concentrated in just five schools: CPHS, Lakes, Hudtloff, Lochburn and Dr. Thomas.
Surprisingly Hudtloff and Lochburn have far higher offense rates per student population than either of the District’s high schools. These middle schools represent a huge jump in disciplinary offenses (about 15 times!) compared to the elementary schools from which their students came.
There may be several causes: new school environment, rebellious “tweens” and uncertainty about the vision and future direction of their academic life (“what do I want to be when I grow up”). Perhaps middle schools are where our attention needs to be focused when it comes to discipline and individual educational plans to give otherwise restless children something to focus upon: a vision of their future.
Harrison Prep and the remaining 21 elementary schools have combined offense levels far below the “top 5” given their student populations. Thus, the total of 36,118 offenses cannot be simply averaged across the District’s 27 schools but must be addressed individually by school.
CPHS has the greatest number of disciplinary offenses reported (8,545/23%) while Lakes HS has significantly fewer by 34% (5,666/16%) assuming the same reporting criteria and their similar student populations.
It is of note that these high schools also have a significant disparity in academic performance with CPHS significantly underperforming Lakes HS. Whether this disparity in disciplinary offenses and academic performance is linked to causality or merely coincidence is beyond the scope of this analysis but should be investigated further.
A safer learning environment would seem to provide a better learning environment and chance to achieve academic excellence.
Here are the 36,118 disciplinary offenses between 2017 and 2021 broken out by race and ethnicity, number of offences, percentage of total offenses, percentage of population (%) and whether under or over represented.
BY RACE/ETHNICTY
- Native Americans: 194, .54%. Less than 1% of population. Underrepresented.
- Asians: 629, 2%, comprising 5.2% of population. Underrepresented.
- Black: 8,548, 24%, comprising 11.1% of population. Overrepresented.
- Hispanic: 10,695, 30%, comprising 45.8% of population. Underrepresented.
- Pacific Islander/Hawaiian: 1,860, 5%, comprising 8.1% of population. Underrepresented.
- Mixed race: 5,849, 16%, comprising 11.2% of population. Overrepresented.
- White: 8,339, 23%, comprising 18.2 of population. Overrepresented.
There is a significant disparity between racial and ethnic groups with respect to their population percentages in the District but not what might be expected. Blacks, whites and mixed race individuals are over represented in disciplinary offenses, while Native Americans, Asians, Hispanic and Pacific Islanders are under- represented. There may be other underlying causes of these disparities more important than the individual’s race or ethnicity. Socio-economic factors as well as family structure and values may have a greater impact on behavior than merely skin color or family origin.
The important take away from these statistics is that “membership” in a racial or ethnic majority or minority has little to do with whether that “group” is overrepresented or underrepresented or whether individuals within the group are likely to offend or not. There are too many other factors for each individual involved to merely use race or ethnicity as the “equity lens” in addressing discipline.
These statistics by race and ethnicity would seem to question ending “zero tolerance”.
Discipline based upon race or ethnicity may be misguided for ascribing to race or ethnicity a particular propensity to offend or not to offend: both black and white are over represented here.
For those “beneficiaries” of ending “zero tolerance discipline”, have we not also created the false expectation that race or ethnicity will be a prime consideration in the criminal justice system outside the classroom?
Here are the 36,118 disciplinary offenses between 2017 and 2021 broken out below by specific offense. The offense code is immediately followed by the number of associated offenses that occurred. The number following the Offense Description (i.e. 3203) is the District policy number that pertains to the offense.
It appears that about 28,920 (80%) of the disciplinary offenses are related to defiance of school authority, lower level offenses handled by teachers, disruptive behavior, cellular phones, foul language, cheating, truancy, etc. Although not potentially criminal they do have an impact upon the classroom environment and affect student learning for both the offender and classmates.
There were about 7,198 (20%) potentially criminal incidents including assault, weapons, drugs, marijuana, arson, gang affiliation, theft, vandalism, communicating threats, sexual harassment and “HIB” (harassment, intimidation, bullying ) signified by an asterisk*.
OFFENSE CODE AND OFFENSE DESCRIPTION
- ALC 112* Alcohol – 3202 P1
- ALT 15 Alteration of Records – 3240 P1
- ARS 36* Arson – 3300 P1
- AST 1633* Assault – 3240 P1
- CHE 279 Cheating – 3240 P1
- COO 4543 Cooperation with School Staff – 3240 P1 (defiance of school authority)
- CRI 13* Criminal Acts – 3202
- DC 9238 Disruptive Conduct – 3240
- DOC 3256 Documentation (Discipline by teacher not brought to administration level)
- DRE 187 Repeat Dress Violation – 3200P12
- DRU 168* Illicit Drugs – 3240 P1
- ELE 3123 Electronics (cellular phone)
- EMC 942* Exceptional Misconduct – 3300
- FIG 1943* Fighting without injury – 3300 P1
- GAN 22* Gang Affiliation – 3201
- HAN 3* Handgun – 3233
- HAZ 0 Hazing/Initiations – 3200 P6
- HIB 533* HIB – 3207
- HID 4* HIB/Basis of Disability
- HIE 5* HIB/Basis of Religion
- HIG 8* HIB/Basis of Gender
- HIR 60* HIB/Basis of Race
- HIS 69* HIB/Basis of Sexual Orientation
- INT 7 Interference – 3200 P5
- KNI 99* Knife/Dagger – 3233
- LC 352 Leaving Campus without permission – 3151
- LOP 450 Lewd, Obscene, Profane Language/Gesture/Material
- MAR 255* Marijuana
- MF 0 Multiple Firearms – 3233
- ODR 859 Office Dis Referral
- OF 5* Other Firearms – 3233
- OTH 1502 Other
- OW 43* Other weapons – 3233
- PRF 675 Profanity and Vulgarity – 3200 P7
- PRO 0 Prohibited Orgs – 3200 P8
- QP 0 BECCA requested by parent
- QS 5 BECCA requested by school
- RIF 0 Rifle/Shotgun – 3233
- SB 0 Serious Bodily Injury
- SH 164* Sexual Harassment – 3244
- THE 162* Theft of Property – 3300 P1
- THR 584* Threats of Violence/Harm – 3305
- TOB 82* Tobacco – 3200 P9
- TRE 2* Trespass on School Property – 3160
- TRU 4014 Truancy/Attendance – 3122
- VAN 146* Vandalism – 3122
- VIO 415 Repeat School Violations – 3200 P11
- VW 72* Violence with Injury – 3300 P1
- VWO 33* Violence without Injury – 3300 P1
Consider CPHS as an example to understand the seriousness of discipline and criminality.
CPHS averaged 23% of all offenses in 2017. If 59 offenses occurred daily District-wide during 2017, then CPHS accounts for 14 offenses daily for a total of 2,520 annually. If 20% of those annual 2,520 CPHS offenses are potentially criminal, that equates to 504 criminal offenses annually.
There are 1,283 students in CPHS which means the potential crime rate is 504 potential criminal events to 1,283 students or 39%. Compare this to the crime rate for Lakewood’s general population of 47 per 1,000: 4.7%.
Thus, the criminal offense rate at CPHS is potentially 8+ times greater than that in Lakewood’s general population! Imagine living in a city with that kind of crime problem: our student children and their teachers do every day!
Discipline is a serious issue. For every student affected by a single disciplinary offense and particularly a criminal offense, there is a circle of family, friends and acquaintances that are affected. Multiply this by the number of all offenses, not just reported offenses, and you have the potential of widespread anxiety, distraction, disruption and psychological impacts upon students, their learning environment and academic performance.
This is an issue that deserves the Board and District’s immediate attention.
This is an extremely informative article. I really appreciate the thoroughness of the content shared. Thank you!
I would imagine that we will start seeing more violence and drug activity in schools because of this new “equitable” way of not disciplining. This is an epic fail, all of us who live in the real world can see it. We are watching similar PC policies unfold in our communities with the Police Reform Act. They hinder police from being able to do anything and that leads to more crime and emboldened criminals.
Our kids do not feel safe in school anymore….but the numbers sure look good don’t they! Ask the kid who was stabbed in the neck a few weeks ago what he thinks of the low discipline incident numbers. It is shameful what our district has been focusing on while their are serious issues they fail to address. Glad we have at least one new board member, hopefully things will start changing for the better….for real,….for the students….not just fake numbers on paper.
Mr. Arbeeny,
Yours is a well thought out and well written report of importance to Lakewood schools, the citizens of Lakewood, school teachers, school principals, and most importantly the student violators and student victims.
We hear that “Zero Tolerance” should be done away with to support what is referred to as equity.
My only acceptable definition of the term equity is “the quality of being fair and impartial”. For me equity has nothing to do with race, or color, or…
If a white student purposefully pushes another student down the stairs resulting in the victim suffering a broken arm, there should be consequences for having violated school rules and criminal law.
If a black student purposefully pushes another student down the stairs resulting in the victim suffering a broken arm, there should be consequences for having violated school rules and criminal law.
Uniform consequences should also be applied for minor violations regardless of race.
Treating violators differently because of their skin color is in itself racial discrimination. Predictably a No Zero Tolerance policy may well send the students enjoying the short term benefit of No Zero Tolerance or lighter consequences based on race down the pathway of becoming adult criminals.
If the schools desire to do what is best for the students, they should adopt the philosophy of the famous TV cop, Baretta, “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time”.
If a particular race does not learn the Baretta axiom at home, then let’s not have the student’s second chance to learn, school, fail to impart the teaching.
During my student years in the 1950s and early 1960s I was fortunate to learn Baretta’s rule from my parents at home and from my school principal. The list of school and legal violations I did not commit is too long to count. I knew that if I broke the rules there would be consequences both at home and in school. I did not think the negative consequences were worth it, so I easily behaved myself.
I suggest Clover Park Schools and the Clover Park School Board support maintaining a Zero Tollerance policy. Equity demands that all violators, regardless of race, suffer the same appropriate consequences should they misbehave.
Why just yesterday my parent’s and my school’s teaching worked.
A pal and I had the opportunity to rob a Brinks truck and make off with all the bank cash. We easily chose not to for several reasons, one of which was neither of us wanted to face the negative consequences which would have included embarrassment and prison time or as Baretta would call it, doing the time.
Joseph Boyle – Lakewood Resident 51 years
I agree 100%
Math, statistics, objective reasoning – wow.
Who needs theory when reality bites?
Disrupters are always what get in the way of accomplishment, and they always have their excuses.
My high school class was very destructive and disruptive.
Looking back, it’s a shame the time, energy, and opportunity that was lost.
I just had this conversation last night with my middle schooler.
The problem today is information overload and a digital default from the real world.
That’s where priorities come in.
We all need a simple set of core values to work from in order to stay on task.
It’s hard to fault the kids when they see a society full of excuses and expectations.
I think the problem is much simpler than we are making it, but then I’m sure the disrupters will disagree.
Mr. Borgelt,
I agree with you. The problem and solution are very simple. Thanks for speaking up.
Joseph Boyle – Lakewood Resident 51 Years
It takes commendable commitment and care for the quality of education for our children to obtain, organize and report on the crucial issue of discipline in schools of the Clover Park School District. Furthermore, it takes a talent few possess. Thank you, John Arbeeny. Hopefully this tool will mark the beginning of community members, as well as District staff, teachers and the School Board, coming together to address this critical and challenging problem.
I was employed with Clover Park years ago. Elementary school. In your article bullying was mentioned. I protected this student. Lack of support from front office. Building principal had no clue. Lawyers then got involved. Lawsuit settle for $$$. Still remember this.
Clover Park School District disciplinary issues are scheduled for presentation and discussion at the school board workshop on Monday, January 24, 5:30 pm. Though “tentative and subject to change” the agenda indicates that the discipline report will be made by Deputy Superintendent Brian Laubach.
Let’s see to what extent the District has analyzed its own disciplinary data compared to the preliminary analysis I conducted in this article. Equally important will be the Board’s discussion and future action items contemplated to deal with this issue.
People are watching!
Though no public comment period is provided at school board workshops, the public may attend in person at the Student Services Center, Room 4, 10903 Gravelly Lake Dr SW.
The meeting will also be live-streamed on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88689409122?pwd=N1RrTlpwcDFoeDlDU0I5THI3dC9uQT09. Passcode: 929326 or via Telephone US: +1 253 215 8782. Webinar ID: 886 8940 9122 and follow the prompts. You do not need to download any special software. All you need to do is click the above link. If you have any questions, please contact Carmen Lewis at cwlewis@cloverpark.k12.wa.us or call (253) 583-5190.
I believe their is a huge disparity in the average household income of students who attend Clover Park High School compared to the average household income of the students that attend Lakes High School. Look at the numbers! Students have been sent to Clover Park High School based on their low-income, Skyward behavior records, and SBA low scores, where middle class or higher (athletic students), higher SBA scored students are offered more choices and opportunities at Lake High School or Harrison Prep. The economically disadvantaged students and SBA low-performing students all attend CPHS are victims of the CPSD Board making inequalitble decisions about what students go to which schools(redlining), thus poor students go to one school (CPHS), and the middle class, military, and well-off financially go to the other (Lakes). Please visit both schools and ask around and you will find this to be true. One community is louder than the other and hey have more Caucasian parents who are more vocal and communicate what they want from the district. Where as CPHS parents are poor Hispanic parents who don’t want to get involved because of fear of deportation, and retaliation to their families. Not to mention more “Closed Door”meetings are happening in the case of Decision Making when it come to Clover Park High School and it’s future, compared to Lakes and it’s favored sports programs, surrounding community, and CPSD Board favoritism that starts from the district leadership’s agendas. Most school Board members kids go to or work at Lakes High School. Based on recent school board decisions, eventually they will shut down Clover Park High School. A familiar trend that keeps happening to elementaries and Middle schools in the surrounding area of
I do not agree with you. My child attends Lakes High School and, we are low income. As as many of her classmates. She is on a waiver because I chose for her to attend Lakes, somewhat based on the high rate of incidents at Clover Park High School.
I simply wanted a better environment for her.
Lakes students thrive because they want to, not because of their financial backgrounds or their race.
Other students outside of Lakes High School have the opportunity to do the same. But, it all begins at home.
Let’s put our focus on our children being successful, regardless of their race or parents income status.
This is the honest truth: A principal I had told me “when I put the data together for discipline referrals, you are the only teacher that has more whites than African American students sent to the office. That shocks me.” I told her I send whoever needs to be sent regardless. It is based on behavior not skin color.
She did not like me for the number of discipline referrals I had and at the next teacher meeting when data was shared I could see why. Admin. has to report to the district how many discipline referrals there are and she was sent to our school to “clean it up” so I was making her look bad. I think she was hoping my data was the other way around so I could be labeled and that would explain my number of referrals.
True story.
This appears to be a case where the welfare of students and a learning environment are trumped by discipline statistics designed to make administrators and by extension, the District “look good”. It is yet another example of equity in operation. The easiest way to deal with discipline issues is to “fudge” the numbers.
Loading up more and more responsibilities, as does the OSPI discipline policy, forces teachers to decide what is most important in any given day. Overload their “plate” and something is going to fall off. The easiest way to deal with discipline issues is pretend they don’t exist by not reporting them. The statistics look good while student safety and learning take a serious hit in doing so.
Any administrator or teacher who manipulates disciplinary offenses to make the numbers look good should be fired immediately! They have put their own interests over the very children they are supposed to be protecting and teaching.
What does letting any person get away with crime, improve their chances to succeed in life after school? My job would not soften punishment if I knowingly had bad behavior or harmed another person. The kids need tangible help and our teachers/nurses are not the parent, law, or counselor. Oh wait, yes they are put in that position. And told to look the other way when they have accepted the kids the other schools don’t.
All kids should be held accountable for their behaviors and for any crimes they commit while at school and elsewhere, regardless of their race. And, the punishment should be equal across the board. Choosing to participate in crime should have consequences. Race shouldn’t be a factor when deciding those consequences.