Does the existing literature provides reason to believe that the use of detention on Saturday is generally effective as well as specifically effective in terms of reducing schools' overall rate of suspensions? The purpose of the literature review presented here is to examine research that relates to this question. To answer this question, the chapter presents a review of studies investigating for the effects of Saturday school detention programs; the review emphasizes those studies that have used school suspension rates as one of their outcome measures.
Further, in order to provide historical background and context to the proposal, the review begins with a brief exploration of literature related to the general effectiveness of suspension as a disciplinary method; this because current educators claim that Saturday detention is a better alternative to this traditional method of dealing with disciplinary problems, and that a substantial part of its value is that it reduces the need to resort to suspension at all (Thorbahn, 1995; Winborn, 1992). The review ends with a series of conclusions about Saturday detention and its effects that are formulated based on the examined literature.
Historical Background:Impetus to Saturday Detention
Lack of proper discipline in schools has long been a major concern of the public; and proposals on how to improve discipline have ranged from the bizarre to the cruel (Nor, 1996). In many instances, educators and administrators have attempted to devise alternative punishments to replace the traditional disciplinary methods of corporal punishment, suspension, and expulsion.
One such alternative is the Saturday Detention Program (sometimes referred to as Saturday School) which, at minimum, requires students to complete academic assignments in a detention atmosphere (Raebeck, 1993). Many Saturday detention programs also include several other features such as counseling, self-esteem building co...