DAEP Revamped
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

Nathan Straus Photo Marian Thornton stands vigilant outside the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program Facility. Thornton's arrival has helped with the reconstruction of the program.

The Disciplinary Alternative Education Program has not only revamped its location and building, it has revamped the way the program works.

Marian Thornton, principal of the DAEP, said the program started years ago as a nightly "thing" before becoming what it is today.

The new, larger building has separated the male and female students where they weren't separated before, and is lighter than the older building.

"The DAEP is an alternative to a classroom setting for kids who can't make it in the classroom, " Thornton said.

Repeated bad behavior such as truancy and classroom disturbances can land a student in the DAEP, Thornton said. The average stay is around 30 days, but serious cases can last up to 90, with extreme problem-students staying up to a year for issues such as felonies, Thornton said.

The disciplinary program operates a five level system for putting kids back into a classroom setting. The style is different from last year's, Thornton said. Thornton also said she couldn't say how the program was run last year, being a recent addition herself.

The first level of the program, the level students enter when placed in the DAEP, grants no privileges.

"In order to advance in levels students must earn points," Thornton said.

Students earn points for being respectful and finishing their work on time. In order to advance to level two, a student must earn 26 points each day for 10 days.

Level two students have library and gym privileges and must earn 28 points a day for only five days. Thornton also said there is no socializing in the DAEP and students must, for the most part, keep to themselves.

Those who refuse to do work or otherwise continue to misbehave in the DAEP are put into isolation, and this, Thornton said, is something students want to avoid happening.

Level three, also a five day period, along with levels four and five, grant the students a counselor to aid them with personal goals. Students also earn lunch privileges for Friday where they may leave the cubicle space they have been working in and eat lunch in a larger area. Students must earn 30 points a day in level three.

At 32 points per day in level four, students have daily lunch privileges and can meet with the campus administrator to see whether they can leave the DAEP early.

For level five students must write a letter of restitution to the main campus.

"I meet with the parents," Thornton said. "The students also earn talking privileges, so they can speak with other level five students."

Doug Shaffer, social studies and business teacher at the DAEP, said while the students each have their own study area, sometimes group classes are held.

"They're sent over written work from the high school, or they work on a computerbased curriculum," Shaffer said.

Shaffer also said he believes it is hard to tell how the program is doing this early in the year, but two students have already been readmitted back into a classroom setting from the DAEP.

Thornton said when she receives students they usually do very well and are eager to get back to the classroom.

There are 19 students in the DAEP, Thornton said.