Alternatives To Suspension (Little Rock)

To register with a purchase order, Click Here.

• FULL REGISTRATION - EARLY BIRD Individual - $375 per person*
• FULL REGISTRATION - GROUP RATE (2+) - $375 per person

• FULL REGISTRATION - Individual - $450 per person
• 1-DAY REGISTRATION - EARLY BIRD Individual - $195 per person*
• 1-DAY REGISTRATION - GROUP RATE (2+) - $195 per person
• 1-DAY REGISTRATION - Individual - $225 per person

* Early Bird Registration Ends Friday, August 8th at 11:59 pm CDT.

All participants will receive a Certificate of Completion for each day attended and complimentary access to:

• Access to Discipline Decision Makers Bootcamp Online Resources
• One Course on LTV Academy*

*Participants must fulfill their registration payment before receiving access to the complimentary resources.

Principals, assistant principals, deans, restorative practices coordinators, counselors, social workers, behavior interventionists, in-school suspension teachers, teacher leaders, or anyone on the campus who supports behavior are ideal participants for this workshop.

If you need to book a room at the Holiday Inn Little Rock-Airport-Conf Ctr and would like to receive our Group Rate, please call the hotel directly at 501-490-1000 and ask for the Alternatives To Suspension group block rate of $110.00 plus tax per room per night. You can also click here to book your sleeping room.Please remember that the group rate is only available for a limited number of rooms, and the last day to book a room at the group rate is Monday, August 18th.

One of the few things everyone can agree on is that suspension is less effective than it used to be. Kids today are growing up in a different time that isn't comparable to any other past period. A 20th-century approach to 21st-century problems doesn't yield the results we need. Every year, there is something new that is supposed to be the answer to the challenging behaviors we face today. The only constant of these initiatives is that they need to be revised. If we're honest, we must admit they all have some practical qualities. We often approach deep-rooted problems with surface-level thinking in education, leading to surface-level solutions. The workshop provides guidance on developing a behavior management strategy based on the 3 Approaches to Addressing a Problem and the 3 Most Common Approaches to Managing Behavior.

The workshop will explore the pros and cons of the three most common approaches to addressing behavior in schools today. If the goal of any behavior management approach is to create an optimal and safe learning environment, schools must develop a behavior management system that integrates Traditional Consequences, PBIS, and Restorative Practices/SEL.

PREVENTION: Prevention is the best option because the best way to address a problem is to prevent it. The two primary ways to avoid problems on a campus are emphasizing building relationships among all stakeholders and teaching appropriate behavior, especially when the student has yet to learn it. Discipline decision-makers must understand that you can't prevent all issues and that prevention focuses on minimizing problems. During the workshop, we will guide participants through best practices and strategies for effectively supporting teachers and staff to minimize and prevent disruptive behavior from escalating.

INTERVENTION: The goal of intervention is to solve the problem. Restorative Practices, which are alternatives to suspension and PBIS interventions, are strategies implemented to solve the problem. If the aim is to solve the problem or at least control it, discipline decision-makers need to prioritize intervention. During the workshop, we will guide participants in appropriately addressing challenging behavior problems by providing specific alternatives to suspension designed to change behavior while holding students accountable.

SUPPRESSION: Suppression aims to temporarily eliminate the problem. Strategies such as detention and in-school and out-of-school suspension are all forms of suppression intended to do this. Discipline decision-makers sometimes need temporary, immediate solutions to address disruptive student behavior. During the workshop, we'll help you determine when suppressing the problem is appropriate and the best approach to take when necessary.

The workshop will explore the pros and cons of the three most common approaches to addressing behavior in schools today. If the goal of any behavior management approach is to create an optimal and safe learning environment, schools must develop a behavior management system that integrates Traditional Consequences, PBIS, and Restorative Practices/SEL.

TRADITIONAL CONSEQUENCES: Most educators agree that traditional consequences, such as out-of-school suspension, are less impactful for students today. There will always be a need in schools for strategies like suspension because there will always be behaviors, particularly safety concerns, that require us to use a strategy such as in-school or out-of-school suspension. The essential concept to remember is that these are strategies that need to be implemented in a manner that will help achieve the goal of correcting the behavior.

POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS & SUPPORTS (PBIS): PBIS gets a bad rap but has been relatively effective. The systematic approach to establishing structures, such as hallway procedures and voice levels, has positively impacted schools nationwide. The same can be said for the campus-wide PBIS reward system. The combination of a well-implemented PBIS structure and rewards system has consistently yielded 85% of students on the campus meeting behavioral expectations. The challenge is that 10-15% of students create 90% of the behavior challenges on campus, and the PBIS interventions don’t consistently support campuses with those students. PBIS is a practical framework that every campus should adopt, but it is not a one-size-fits-all approach for managing all student behavior.

RESTORATIVE PRACTICES/SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL): Restorative Practices in schools are relatively new. There are challenges in the early stages of anything new, and Restorative Practices are no exception. The greatest challenge is refuting the idea that Restorative Practices should replace traditional consequences and punishment should be eliminated. Punishment is necessary for changing behavior, so traditional consequences will always have a place. The focus should be on incorporating Restorative Practices with traditional consequences rather than replacing them.

During this two-day workshop, we will work together to delve into these deep-rooted problems with the appropriate depth of thinking, yielding the solutions you need to address the behavior challenges on your campus. We encourage you to join us on both days but feel free to come only on the day that fits your schedule and interests. Please take a moment to review the descriptions of the days below so you can learn what to expect from attending each workshop day.

If you cannot attend and would like to request a refund, please submit your refund request in writing SEVEN (7) DAYS before the scheduled date of the workshop. Submit all refund requests to [email protected]. If you submit your refund request within SEVEN (7) DAYS of the workshop, you can be given a credit that can be applied to any of our future workshops.

Can I register using a purchase order?

Absolutely! We will need a PDF copy of the purchase order if you would like to register using a purchase order. We are unable to accept purchase order numbers or requisitions. Requisitions are internal documents that only acknowledge a purchase order has been requested. To finalize registration, we need a PDF copy of the purchase that shows Leaving The Village LLC as the vendor and our correct mailing address (4938 Hampden Lane #283, Bethesda, MD 20814).

We've allotted one hour and 15 minutes for workshop attendees to have lunch on their own. Because most attendees work on a campus with students, they are rarely afforded the opportunity to go to a restaurant for lunch. Our hope is that each attendee takes advantage of this unique opportunity to enjoy a sit-down lunch like most other working professionals are able to do. Throughout both days, beverages such as coffee, water, and hot tea will be available to all participants.

When should I expect to receive my certificate of completion?

Your certificate of completion will be emailed to you within fifteen (15) business days after the workshop concludes.

Will I receive any supporting resources if I attend the workshop?

Yes! During the first break on the first day of the workshop, each checked-in participant will be emailed instructions on accessing our website's supporting resources. Those only attending the second day will receive an email during the first break if they check-in for day two.

Unfortunately, we can't guarantee that you will be able to receive continuing education units if you attend our workshops. We offer our workshops around the country and we are in the process of ensuring our attendees can earn credits in the future.

When should I expect to receive the Participant Perks?

Participants who fulfill payment for their registration before the start of their scheduled workshop can expect their complimentary resources within FIFTEEN (15) business days after the conclusion of the workshop they attended. Participants who register using a purchase order as a promise of payment must fulfill the purchase order payment before receiving their complimentary resources. Once the purchase order payment is fulfilled, participants can expect to receive their complimentary resources within two weeks of receipt of payment.

Our workshops are differentiated to meet the needs of all levels, K-12. With that said, Kelvin Oliver, the presenter, was a PK-6 campus administrator when he implemented Restorative Practices on a campus. His time as a campus administrator is where he developed many of the concepts that are presented during these workshops. While the focus will be on all grade levels, elementary educators will not walk away from this workshop feeling that it didn't apply to them.

Are these workshops only intended for administrators?

No, you don't have to be an administrator to attend these workshops. All educators that attend these workshops will find great benefit in these workshops.

Should I attend if I've already attended a workshop?

The Alternatives To Suspension workshop is our flagship professional learning opportunity for those currently implementing or looking to begin implementing Restorative Practices. This workshop will continue the learning for previous participants looking to take the next step while simultaneously bringing new participants up to speed. New strategies will be shared, but the primary focus of this two-day workshop will be on shifting from a purely punitive behavior management philosophy to a more effective approach that emphasizes working to change the behavior.

KELVIN OLIVER is an educational consultant specializing in supporting schools by developing and implementing behavior management systems that synergize restorative practices, PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports), and traditional consequences. As a campus administrator, he was instrumental in supporting the integration of Restorative Practices with PBIS and Traditional Consequences. Kelvin created a campus-based support model with weekly professional development and an implementation support team. In 2007, Kelvin started his career in Texas as a special education teacher before transitioning to general education as a sixth-grade math teacher. He transitioned to campus math specialist and district curriculum specialist before becoming an assistant principal and later campus principal.

For more information about Kelvin’s work, please visit www.leavingthevillage.com.

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