Many urban school districts are adopting restorative practices (RP) as a means to reduce suspensions and resolve racial discipline gaps. In this study, we use a sensemaking framework to examine educators' beliefs about discipline and their perceptions of RP and its implementation. We draw on survey responses (N = 363) administered after educators…

Persistent disparities in school exclusionary policies by race and ethnicity have long been recognized as a major issue in student disciplinary practices and in unequal opportunities for education. Only limited research has been conducted to provide insight into the varying effects of race and ethnicity on the recently increasing implementation of…

"No Excuses" charter schools are at the center of many debates in education policy. First, what accounts for their test success, excellent learning environments or merely test preparation? Second, are strict behavior policies necessary to create efficient learning environments or are they harmful to students and their ability to navigate…

The practice of temporarily removing students from school as a form of punishment (i.e., suspensions) remains quite common. This study uses longitudinal data from a large, urban school district in California to assess whether the use of suspensions improves school safety in the following school year. Additional analyses by student race and…

Safety is one of the primary reasons why parents report seeking out a school of choice in depressed cities with a high proportion of charter schools. However, little empirical research has examined how parents assess school safety in these settings. This study explores factors that parents associate with school safety in Detroit, Michigan by…

The purpose of the study was to compare and contrast influences principals have on staffing, curriculum issues, and discipline policies in high- and low-performing urban high schools. The data for the present study were drawn from the first year follow up of the Educational Longitudinal Survey of 2002-2004 (ELS: 02), administered by the National…

Improving student discipline is a constant challenge in the field of P-12 education. The challenge is especially great for district-level administrators who must address the educational and social needs of all students. As a district-level administrator, the author participates in a study of a midwestern district of elementary (preschool-8)…

The term "due process of law" has been overextended to apply to cases arising out of the public school system. This has resulted in increasing involvement of the judiciary in the administration of public schools, which has affected their day to day operation. (Author/MJL)

Examines Federal special education legislation for limitations on the right of public schools to discipline handicapped students. Describes the case of Stuart v Nappi, in which the plaintiff successfully fought disciplinary expulsion from school based on her status as a special education student. (MJL)

Investigates the expansion of student due process rights and the discipline issues resolved by the United States Supreme Court. Considers lower court interpretations of these decisions and issues currently being raised. Suggests that legal cases which have nothing to do with discipline have affected the way school personnel view discipline.…

The role of the courts in school discipline policy is discussed, with particular focus on the constitutionality of corporal punishment. (RLV)

Widely held community belief is that lack of discipline is the biggest problem that public schools face. The community must be better informed regarding school discipline in order to effectively participate in changing policy. (RLV)

The problem of developing a widely acceptable set of standards for evaluating school discipline is examined. The issue of determining what kinds of evidence best indicate whether schools are living up to norms of basic fairness in their evaluation standards is also explored. (RLV)

The essay discusses efforts carried out by a community action agency to examine the issues of school discipline and student suspensions during the desegregation of the Milwaukee Public Schools. (Author/RLV)

The article explores two types of grievance systems widely utilized in the American public school system: code grievance systems and alternative structures. (RLV)