V. States and LEAs improve data collection and reporting to parents and the public on student achievement and gap - closing, course - completion, graduation rates, school climate indicators (including decreases in
use of exclusionary discipline practices, use of police in schools, and student referrals to law enforcement), opportunity measures (including pre-K and technology), and per - pupil expenditures.
As teachers, we are encouraged by the steps being taken by our district, New Haven Public Schools (NHPS), which have led to a reduction in the use
of exclusionary discipline practices since the 2008 - 09 school year.
Although we can not test specific mechanisms with our data, the reduced
rates of exclusionary discipline with black teachers across the board may suggest that part of the same - race effect we have documented may stem from teachers and students being more likely to share the same socioeconomic background.
They assess the evidence on
critiques of exclusionary discipline and in support of alternative strategies, and discuss areas where additional research is necessary to understand the consequences of both for schools and students.
Additionally, a 2014 study of Kentucky secondary schools found that «higher
levels of exclusionary discipline within schools over time generate collateral damage, negatively affecting the academic achievement of non-suspended students in punitive contexts» (Perry and Morris, 2014, 1).
In particular, schools will need to adopt alternative practices, rather than eliminating or dramatically reducing the use
of exclusionary discipline in a policy void.
This is the first study to show that programs like MTP - S that focus on teacher - student interactions in a sustained manner using a rigorous approach can actually reduce the disproportionate use
of exclusionary discipline with African American students.
The District's proposed legislation, by contrast, would lower the continuing disproportionate impact
of exclusionary discipline on historically underserved populations.
Finally, the letter contains a significant appendix of «illustrative» specific suggestions for policy and practice that could serve to help states and districts avoid violations, urging schools to reduce the use of suspension and other
forms of exclusionary discipline, focusing instead on positive approaches.
Recognizing the negative
effects of exclusionary discipline, schools are testing ways if reforming discipline to create a positive climate in schools, which also helps allRead More
ESSA requires states to describe how they will assist districts to reduce: bullying and harassment, the
overuse of exclusionary discipline practices (e.g. suspensions, expulsions, school - based arrests), and seclusion and restraint.
I contend that school discipline reformers in general, and the Obama team in particular, were cavalier in calling on U.S. schools to cut the use
of exclusionary discipline without identifying major resources to help them do so.
We don't know whether the use
of exclusionary discipline causes school climates to deteriorate, or if administrators respond to unruly climates by clamping down on school discipline.
When teachers build relationships with their students through strong emotional supports and high - quality teaching, it leads to increased cooperation and engagement in the classroom as well as fewer
instances of exclusionary discipline.
Implications for School Practice and Policy This edition of Principal's Research Review looks at the extent and
cost of exclusionary discipline practices, research on improving school climate, and resources available through the federal government.
Because of these data, in 2014, the U.S. Department of Education reiterated the legal
limitations of exclusionary discipline and reminded school districts of their responsibility to serve all students.
Other locations he's watching include Maryland, where extensive changes to the state's discipline policies are underway, and Denver, whose leading role in the
elimination of exclusionary discipline makes it a key guidepost for other districts striving to do away with zero - tolerance tactics.
Given that the average suspension is conservatively put at 3.5 days, we estimate that U.S. public school children lost nearly 18 million days of instruction in just one school year
because of exclusionary discipline.
Chicago schools with high rates of suspensions and expulsions served extremely vulnerable, segregated populations, while those with low levels
of exclusionary discipline did not.
In 2016, the Legal Aid Justice Center released Suspended Progress, an issue brief on the
state of exclusionary discipline in the Commonwealth of Virginia's public...
Indeed, while these phenomena hold true regardless of race, Pinellas» disproportionate use
of exclusionary discipline measures on black students undoubtedly contributes to the double - digit achievement gap.
In a separate study, Russell Skiba and Natasha Williams further revealed that black students in the same schools or districts were not engaged in levels of disruptive behavior that would warrant higher
rates of exclusionary discipline than white peers.
The ultimate goal of this moratorium is to reduce the reliance on all
forms of exclusionary discipline and to replace them with best practices that support students, teachers and all members of the school community in creating safe and engaging classroom environments.
Being suspended or expelled directly disrupts students» learning and weakens their connection to school, and research shows all students do worse in schools with higher
levels of exclusionary discipline.
Recognizing the negative
effects of exclusionary discipline, schools are testing ways if reforming discipline to create a positive climate in schools, which also helps all students learn.
As of May 2015, 22 states and the District of Columbia had revised their laws in order to require or encourage schools to: limit the use
of exclusionary discipline practices; implement supportive (that is, nonpunitive) discipline strategies that rely on behavioral interventions; and provide support services such as counseling, dropout prevention, and guidance services for at - risk students.
Effective remedies to improve instruction, learning and school climate (including, e.g., decreases in bullying and harassment,
use of exclusionary discipline practices, use of police in schools, and student referrals to law enforcement) for students enrolled are implemented in any school where the school as a whole, or any subgroup of students, has not met the annual achievement and graduation targets or where achievement gaps persist.
We describe the critiques
of exclusionary discipline and then examine the research base on which discipline policy reform rests.
The Appendix lists many recommendations for policy and practice, with the general theme of reducing the use
of exclusionary discipline (suspension and expulsion) and providing discipline through positive approaches.
Because the Civil Rights Data Collection quantifies the use
of exclusionary discipline, it becomes a salient metric for researchers, advocates, and policymakers — but on its own, it does not paint a complete picture of a school's approach to discipline or, more importantly, its overall climate.
Although in recent years some policymakers have advocated for alternative disciplinary strategies, a new article reports that critiques
of exclusionary discipline and the arguments in favor of alternatives are based on thin evidence.
And policymakers who want to see reductions in the use
of exclusionary discipline — and improvements in the more fundamental problems for which it can be a symptom — should consider the importance of real resources, both for generating a robust evidence base and helping districts act on it.
In a new study, Steinberg and Lacoe use data from Philadelphia schools, relative to counterparts elsewhere in Pennsylvania over the same time period, to study a 2012 district reform restricting the use
of exclusionary discipline and emphasizing positive approaches.
While little impact - evaluation research exists on the efficacy of early - warning indicator systems in reducing the use
of exclusionary discipline, implementation research suggests that if early - warning systems are not paired with a behavioral - support approach, they are unlikely to be effective.