Focus reduction efforts on high schools, racial/achievement disparities, and conflict prevention/de-escalation¶

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

Description¶

The report identifies three priority areas for districts seeking to reduce exclusionary disciplinary practices: targeting high schools (which account for 56 percent of OSS districtwide), addressing disparities affecting African American students and those with low incoming achievement, and building capacity for "prevention and de-escalation of conflict, especially between students and teachers." The authors recommend increased staff training in de-escalation and social-emotional skill development, particularly at schools with high suspension rates.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Requires changes in high school discipline practices specifically, since efforts aimed at lower grades alone will do little to reduce overall exclusionary practices

Constraints¶

• The report notes that high suspension rates persisted for certain groups despite policy efforts aimed at reducing exclusionary practices, suggesting a need for better support in schools serving those groups

Target Learners¶

• Students in grades 6-12 in urban public school districts

Target Learning Goals¶

• Reduce loss of instructional time due to exclusionary discipline
• Improve school climate and safety

Claims¶

• Black students are suspended at the highest rate of any racial group, at 12% in 2017–18, with persistent disparities across all years analyzed [+W]
• Secondary suspension risk declined and the racial gap narrowed slightly since 2009-10, while elementary rates did not decline and some districts saw large increases [~W]

Related Strategies¶

• Train teachers and staff on how to deal with conflict in constructive ways to prevent conflicts from escalating

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Stevens, W. D., Sartain, L., Allensworth, E. M., & Levenstein, R., with Guiltinan, S., Mader, N., Huynh, M. H., & Porter, S. (2015). Discipline Practices in Chicago Schools: Trends in the Use of Suspensions and Arrests. UChicago CCSR Research Report. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/discipline-practices-chicago-schools-trends-use-suspensions-and-arrests