Seven state-level policy actions to improve school discipline equity¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The brief enumerates seven criteria state leaders should prioritize: set clear goals for decreasing exclusionary discipline and reducing disparities; provide state agency human resources for technical assistance; ban corporal punishment and limit restraints to trained staff and imminent-danger situations; ban zero-tolerance policies and exclusionary discipline for non-violent, minor, or young-learner offenses and discriminatory hair/grooming codes; fund positive discipline such as restorative justice; fund professional development in positive discipline; and publicly report disaggregated district-level discipline data.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• State leaders create clear goals, adopt evidence-based guidance and policies, and publicly report discipline data

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• P-12 students statewide, particularly students of color and students with disabilities

Target Learning Goals¶

• Equitable, safe, and inclusive learning environments supporting SEAD

Related Strategies¶

• Adopt positive, restorative discipline approaches and ban harmful exclusionary practices
• Restorative-justice-aligned discipline policies to reduce exclusionary discipline disparities
• Six-part state and local policy strategy for reducing exclusionary discipline and suspension gaps
• Six policy areas state leaders can implement to create equitable SEAD-supportive learning environments
• Three state levers for supporting local SEAD implementation
• State leaders support local SEAD implementation through three levers: prioritizing SEAD in state goals, providing equity-focused guidance and funding, and making data public

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Blair Wriston, Nancy Duchesneau. (2023). How School Discipline Impacts Students' Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (SEAD). The Education Trust. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED628035