Paper Tigers

James Redford's documentary explores an innovative trauma-sensitive program of instruction and discipline at Lincoln Alternative High School in Walla Walla, WA, where the approach is based on studies that indicate a clear correlation between adverse childhood experiences, health problems, and the troubled behavior that typically lands students on alternative campuses. The studies also suggest that the intervention of a single stable adult figure can offset the risk factors, and the Lincoln model is based on that principle, encouraging teachers and administrators to respond to student misconduct by gently probing to find the underlying cause while also helping the offender work through the issue. Suspension and even expulsion remain possibilities, but visits to the newly-established healthcare center or the ISS (in-school suspension) room are more often the norm. Redford documents the success of the program with statistics that show impressive increases in grades and graduation rates and simultaneous declines in suspensions, but the film really concentrates on six students who bond with staff and, despite occasional setbacks, manage to overcome the odds. Following their progress—the quiet boy who comes out of his shell in drama class, the girl who succeeds despite suffering from cerebral palsy, another girl who overcomes the memory of sexual assault—is uplifting, and it is inspiring to watch dedicated teachers who refuse to give up on the kids, tracking them when they go missing and encouraging rather than punishing whenever they can. The kind of program developed at Lincoln demands much of the staff, but the results indicate that the effort is well worth it. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)