School Discipline Is a Systems Problem. We Fix the System.
- CASE STUDY — EAST CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL | TULSA, OKLAHOMA
In 2012, Pep Rallies Were Impossible.
In 2018, the 1,000-Seat Auditorium Was Full.
604 suspensions. 52% graduation rate. Teachers who dreaded coming to work. East Central was ranked #5 of 6 schools in its district. EDCO turned it around in 2.5 years.
About East Central High School
School Facts:
- School: East Central High School
- Address: 12150 E 11th Street, Tulsa, OK 74128
- Phone: 918.746.9700
- Grades: 9–12
- Principal: Mike Crase
- Number of Teachers: 65
- Number of Students: 1,131 (at study start) / 1,079 (at study close)
- Student-Teacher Ratio: 17 to 1
- Free and Reduced Lunch: 87.29%
Before → After
- Suspensions: 604 → 84
- Tardies: 300 → 20
- Graduation: 52% → 77%
- District Rank: #5 → #2
- Timeline: 2.5 years
- THE RESULTS
BY THE NUMBERS
604 → 84
Annual suspensions — 86% reduction
300 → 20
Daily tardies — 93% reduction
52% → 77%
Graduation rate — 25-point increase
2.5 Yrs
Full transformation — half the standard timeline
- THE CHALLENGE
Ranked #5 of 6. Principals Fired Every Two Years.
- Seen as toxic and a failure by the entire community
- Ranked #5 of 6 schools in the district
- Chronically low graduation, high dropout and suspension rates
- Below-average academic, behavioral, and social performance
- Could not attract or retain teachers — full-time or substitute
- Up to 10% of students in hallways during class
- Severe ongoing discipline — fights, cursing, defiance
- Chronic poor attendance and tardiness
“Mr. Crase, as our new principal, you have to understand… these events are not possible at East Central. Too many fights and too much chaos.”
— East Central Administrators, 2012
East Central Then. East Central Now.
❌ Before — 2012–2014
- Ranked #5 of 6 in district
- 604 annual suspensions
- 52% graduation rate
- 300 daily tardies
- 10% of students in hallways
- Fights, defiance, chaos
- Teachers dreaded Mondays
✅ After — 2017–2018
- Ranked #2 of 6 in district
- 84 annual suspensions
- 77% graduation rate
- 20 daily tardies
- 2% of students in hallways
- Few issues — severe incidents gone
- Attracts and retains quality teachers
“We transformed East Central in just 2.5 years rather than the standard five years thanks to the Education Company’s behavioral management and discipline system which revolutionized how our administrators, teachers and students communicate and interact.”
— Mike Crase, Principal, East Central High School, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Want results like this for your school?
What EDCO Actually Did at East Central
Simple Rules. Clear Consequences. Every Time.
EDCO presented a simple set of rules and clear expectations — and the consequences students would experience consistently when they broke them. Students who had never been held accountable suddenly knew exactly what would happen every single time. No exceptions. No surprises.
Communication Rewired
Managing student behavior starts with how teachers communicate. Body language, tone, facial expression, word choice — all of it was retrained. Teachers learned to stay calm, neutral, and consistent. When teachers stopped escalating, students stopped escalating.
Ongoing Coaching — Not One-Time Training
EDCO trainers spent at least one full day onsite teaching and role-playing. Then they returned several times per year for follow-up coaching — five minutes per classroom per visit. As Crase described it: coaching sessions that kept the school on track and improving.
“The Education Company’s behavior management system trains principals, administrators and teachers how to get students to come to class, arrive on time and pay attention to the lessons without disruptions and distractions. Teachers know their math and geography — but they can’t teach if their classrooms are constantly plagued by disruptions.”
— Mike Crase, Principal, East Central High School
What Transformation Actually Looks Like
“In 2018, more than 80% of students graduated and 62 proudly marched into the annual senior awards ceremony in skirts and dresses, suits and ties. Those scholarship winners filled the front rows and students and their delighted parents stuck around to celebrate with cake and punch post-ceremony.”
“That massive 1,000-seat auditorium is jam-packed for every pep rally, show, and concert — because at long last, East Central’s students are part of a community that works.”
“East Central now gives its students the scholastic and life opportunities that every young person deserves as well as the positive high school experiences and memories that so many teens take for granted.”
— Mike Crase, Principal, East Central High School
What Every Principal Can Take From East Central
The Worst School Can Become the Best
East Central went from #5 to #2 in its district. Many teachers and administrators visited East Central to see it for themselves — because no one believed it until they saw it. Your school is not too far gone. Structure does not require perfect conditions.
Skeptics Either Leave or Become Believers
Within one year of implementation, 16 of 65 teachers quit because they could see the system was there to stay. The ones who remained became the school's most committed staff. Resistance is not a reason to stop — it is a sign the system is real.
Half the Timeline. Same Results.
Standard school turnarounds take five years. East Central did it in 2.5. The difference was not money, not staffing, not demographics. It was a consistent, correctly implemented behavior management system applied from day one.
Your School Has a Mike Crase Waiting to Happen.
Start with a free Discipline Strategy Session. We’ll show you exactly what a fix looks like for your building — in 30 minutes, no pitch, no pressure, no obligation.