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Middle school and elementary leaders cite large drops in suspensions after SEL and de-escalation efforts
Summary
Principals reported declines in referrals and suspensions after implementing programs including Primary Project, TCIS de-escalation training, Courageous Classrooms and expanded restorative practices; middle school reported a 52% drop in referrals and large reductions in in- and out-of-school suspensions.
Principals told the Ballston Spa Central School District Board of Education that social-emotional and behavior-management efforts produced substantial drops in disciplinary referrals and suspensions this year.
Gordon Creek reported two years of the Primary Project and an in-house two-day de-escalation training for special education staff; Principal Brandt said the school saw a roughly “60 decrease in days” of suspension and attributed the result to correlation with training and supports. Milton Terrace reported adoption of primary project work and MTSS-aligned self-regulation supports (Courageous Classrooms) across DCT classrooms. School leaders underscored that measures differed across buildings and that some metrics (referrals vs. suspensions) may be emphasized differently next year.
Middle School Principal Rasmussen presented year-to-date discipline data showing a 52% reduction in referrals compared with the 2022–23 school year and a “close to 70% reduction in total suspensions,” including a 77% reduction in out-of-school suspensions and about a 50% reduction in in-school suspensions. He credited mediation and restorative practices, noting the Mediation Matters regional summit took place at the middle school after staff training.
Principals emphasized training continuity, staff certification maintenance (TCIS), and plans to expand two-day de-escalation training for general-education staff next year. They cautioned that individual staff turnover and program staffing changes can introduce variability; Brandt noted staff changes in Primary Project delivery during the year and said he expects more consistency in year three of the program.
No board action was taken; the presentations were informational and described program-level results and proposed scaling steps for the coming year.
