Several sixth-grade boys refuse to settle down and focus, despite several requests from their teacher. They're too busy trash talking — including using foul language — to pay attention to the adult in the classroom. And while a frustrated teacher tries to get them under control, learning for the rest of the class is on hold.

The scene is fictional, but variations play out every day in too many metro-area public schools — particularly those with high concentrations of low-income, disadvantaged students of color. So which set of kids is the priority: The disruptive ones, or those behaving badly?

All students deserve an education, though clearly different strategies must be used to keep classrooms under control. Suspension policies recently adopted by St. Paul and Minneapolis schools have been under scrutiny for leaning too heavily in favor of the kids who have been suspended — disproportionately higher numbers of African-American and other boys of color.

Minneapolis Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson created an office of Black Male Achievement this year. She also imposed a moratorium on suspending 4-, 5- and 6-year olds, and more recently called for administrative review of any suspensions of kids of color. And St. Paul school leaders have provided incentives to administrators to reduce suspension rates.

Minneapolis schools have been reviewed and cited by the U.S. Department of Education after investigators found widespread, inconsistent suspension treatment for black students. As part of a settlement, the district must report its progress on reducing suspensions for students of color to the federal office.

Trouble is, the reasons for disruptive behavior don't neatly fall into one-size-fits-all categories. Nor do the teacher responses to student actions. Some students act out because of chaotic home and community lives. Some have mental or behavior issues and have been inappropriately mainstreamed. And some who are mouthing off end up suspended, when another kid doing the same thing stays in class.

Just last week, two dozen parents complained that student behavior is out of control at Ramsey Middle School in St. Paul. During a meeting last week, they told school administrators that nine teachers quit working at the school and several families have moved their children to private schools since classes began in September. And they're not alone among parents of Minneapolis and St. Paul kids.

Answers lie in a combination of protecting the rights of the majority of kids to learn, while addressing the root causes of disruptive behavior. And more can be done to help teachers with classroom management skills. Among the effective approaches cited by researchers are:

• Early intervention. When 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds attend quality preschools, they learn how to behave and be successful in school settings.

• On site student/family support. Kids have difficulty concentrating on learning when they are homeless, hungry, or have health issues. "Wrap around'' social services support improved learning.

• In-school suspension. Sending students home doesn't help educate kids or deter bad behavior. But having other options for students either at their home school or within the district that keep them learning can be successful.

• Use proven, successful models. In May, the Minnesota Department of Education recognized 30 schools for sustained, successful use of Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS), a research-based approach that provides schools with training and support in managing students with challenging behaviors.

Some of those approaches require more staff and one-on-one work with kids. But they are investments with worthwhile returns when they produce orderly classrooms and improved student learning.

As one recent contributor to these pages pointed out, more parental involvement and cooperation with teachers also helps. When educators and families support one another and share the same expectations for students, they reinforce messages about appropriate school behavior.