Zero tolerance discipline relies upon a certain set of assumptions about schools, violence, and the outcomes of discipline. In the period of heightened fear about school-based violence during the 1990s, it was not always easy to dispassionately examine the evidence for different strategies of violence prevention. It seemed imperative to put an…

How can schools be kept safe and promote a school climate that is conducive to student learning? The previous two papers, examined methods that have not demonstrated success in maintaining safe and productive school climates. The first briefing paper demonstrated that zero tolerance has not met its goal of maintaining safety, has been…

This document summarizes the findings of a series of three briefing papers that were produced via the collaboration of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy and the Indiana Youth Services Association in an effort to create a dialogue between the education and juvenile justice communities on effective methods of school discipline: (1)…