Replace exclusionary discipline for low-level offenses with social-emotional skill teaching, educator supports, implicit-bias training, and relationship-centered schools¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 2 studies (1 associational, 1 qualitative), q1–q2 · 0 of 2 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The report recommends a package of evidence-based alternatives to zero-tolerance discipline: "Replacing zero-tolerance policies and the use of suspensions and expulsions for low-level offenses with strategies that teach social-emotional skills," targeted educator supports including caring teacher-student relationships and proactive classroom management, implicit-bias training for all adults working with youth, memoranda of understanding separating educator from law-enforcement discipline, and relationship-centered schools with family and community engagement. States such as California, Michigan, Ohio, and Colorado are presented as implementing these approaches.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Staff who lack behavior-management strategies may need focused supports to develop these skills and strategies

Constraints¶

• Addressing disproportionality requires distinct strategies and interventions in addition to broader efforts to reduce exclusionary discipline

Target Learners¶

• K-12 students
• preschool children
• historically underserved students including students of color and students with disabilities

Target Learning Goals¶

• Improved school climate and safety
• Positive behavior and social-emotional skills
• Equal access to educational opportunity

Claims¶

• Experts attribute their focus on RJ in schools to the failure of zero-tolerance discipline, disciplinary disparities, school climate concerns, holistic community approaches, and connections to youth development models [+W]
• The authors interpret the same-offense discipline gap as suggesting possible implicit bias against Black students and students with disabilities [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Use school climate surveys, suspension rates, and chronic absenteeism as accountability indicators of school supports for SEL
• Six-part state and local policy strategy for reducing exclusionary discipline and suspension gaps
• Replace zero tolerance discipline policies with explicit social-emotional teaching and restorative discipline practices
• Replace exclusionary discipline with restorative practices and implement data-driven attendance monitoring
• Build safety and belonging by detracking, offering low-barrier extracurriculars, and implementing restorative approaches in place of exclusionary discipline
• Use preventive disciplinary and restorative justice approaches rather than exclusionary discipline for students experiencing homelessness
• Use educative and restorative behavior supports rather than punitive and exclusionary discipline

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Cardichon, J., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2019). Protecting students' civil rights: The federal role in school discipline. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/student-civil-rights-school-discipline. doi:10.33682/a3vc-nfcx