Many states place limitations on the use of suspension and expulsion. This data point captures restrictions on the use of suspension and/or expulsion that states have set in policy. At least 15 states and the District of Columbia have restrictions on the use of suspension and/or expulsion for students based on their grade level or age. At least 14…

Chronic absenteeism and truancy have been linked to a variety of undesirable outcomes for students including increased risk of dropout, lower test scores, lower educational and social engagement, juvenile delinquency, and substance abuse. One controversial response to truancy is the use of exclusionary discipline, such as out-of-school suspensions…

Mirroring trends in the legal system, discipline within education has adopted zero-tolerance policies in an attempt to curb undesired behaviors in school. K-12 schools have expanded the use of exclusionary discipline policies for lesser offenses, giving way to the phenomenon known as the school-to-prison-pipeline (STPP), which disproportionately…

Beginning in the early 1990s, states and districts enacted zero-tolerance discipline policies that relied heavily on out-of-school suspensions. Recently, districts nationwide have revised these policies in favor of more tempered disciplinary responses. In 2012-2013, Philadelphia reformed its discipline policy to limit suspensions for nonviolent…

Researchers and others in the education community are concerned about over-reliance on exclusionary discipline such as out-of-school suspension (OSS) and expulsion. Exclusionary discipline is associated with lower student achievement, higher risk of drop-out or grade retention, and involvement in the juvenile justice system. In response, many…

The report contains real-world, proven school climate strategies to guide policymakers in building a comprehensive and coherent state-wide approach for improving school climate. It features 12 recommendations linked to existing state policy examples policymakers can use to build a comprehensive, coherent state-wide approach for improving school…

Mounting evidence indicates that students of color are more likely than their white peers to receive exclusionary discipline (out-of-school suspensions and expulsions), but alleviating these disparities requires an understanding of what drives them. In this study, we use seven years of student- and infraction-level data from every public school in…

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization requires State Education Agencies to establish a school choice policy for students attending a persistently dangerous school as defined by the state. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) stipulates that a school can be deemed unsafe as a whole entity or for an individual student who is the…

The model attendance policy offered for consideration here suggests that school districts should encourage regular school attendance and may demand reasonable excuses for absences. Unexcused absences may warrant disciplinary action. The suggested rules that apply the attendance policy to specific situations cover a number of areas. A broad…

The purpose of this handbook is to stimulate thought, planning, and action. Although few of the alternatives outlined here are "canned" techniques that can be readily applied, the experiences and techniques reported should stimulate the thinking of school officials and citizens so that efforts can be initiated to develop and put into…

Truancy continues to be a pervasive problem in American education. This article describes the extent of the problem, strategies for early intervention, legal sanctions, and school conditions as a source of students' alienation. (Contains 10 references.) (LMI)

In an investigation authorized by a 1980 state law, the Legislative Education Study Committee of New Mexico, gathered testimony on student conduct and discipline issues in the local public schools. This report presents a summary of the committee's public hearings, in which parents, teachers, administrators, and community members testified.…

A review of court opinions on school discipline suggests that the use of academic penalties as a sanction for student misconduct is widespread and increasing. In 12 cases during the past decade examined in this chapter, students won 5 and lost 7. In challenges of school board policies that assess academic penalties for truancy, students won in…

Student absenteeism has become a major concern of educators, parents, and communities. Accordingly, this paper presents a series of annotations of articles addressing three aspects of this problem: (1) explanations of student absenteeism, including descriptions of the habitual offender, along with school, peer, and community influences; (2)…

This handbook details methods Pennsylvania school districts might adopt in order to meet State attendance regulations. Following a brief introduction, a list of general topic references in the law is given as an aid to awareness of the variety of issues addressed by statute and regulation. Next, guidelines are presented for developing school…