The prevalence of racial disparities in discipline outcomes continues despite a prominence of new strategies and research. When implemented with fidelity, PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) is shown to contribute to reductions in school suspension, expulsion, and other positive educational outcomes. Despite its promise for making…

The current policy terrain is primed for schools to absorb new discipline strategies and address bias-based beliefs. Over the past 10 years, numerous policy changes regarding discipline have emerged at the federal and state levels. I argue these policy shifts, primarily at the state level, are using two of four value levers (quality, efficiency,…

In this brief, recent actions related to school discipline, discipline disparities in schools, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the added costs of suspending students in the U.S. are explored. The recommendations offered focus on how school leaders and policy makers can address disparities and how school cultures can be changed to reduce the…

Using disciplinary exclusions, such as office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions, has been the subject of significant concern related to student and family civil rights, school policy, and negative impact on short- and long-term outcomes for students. Embedded in this phenomenon is the documentation of significant and persistent…

School suspension is the most widely used disciplinary practice in U.S. schools. It is a programmatic regularity, as Seymour would say. He would also say "programmatic regularities have implicit or explicit outcomes." Like Seymour, the author is concerned about what he describes as the "frequent discrepancy between regularities and…

Aggregate data for the U.S. and selected cities demonstrate that minority students are suspended in disproportionately large numbers. The data suggest that this may be caused by interpretations of what constitutes acceptable behaviors that differ for various race, sex, and age groups; by inconsistent application of school codes to different race,…

The controversial legal issue of disciplinary exclusion of special education students is summarized. Presented in question and answer format, the information digest addresses the following questions: Why is the disciplinary exclusion of special education students so controversial? When can a special education student be excluded from school for…

In April 1978 the National Institute of Education held a conference to explore alternative approaches to suspension as a disciplinary procedure. This publication reproduces the proceedings of this conference. The proceedings reflect a cross-section of opinion on alternative programs provided by panelists and speakers from many sectors of the…

Discusses the negative assumptions and outcomes of provisions in Britain's Education Act of 1997 dealing with expulsion of students. Presents some statistics on excluded children; discusses likely outcomes such as increased delinquency, parent-school acrimony, and disparity in schools. Describes the role of teachers' unions in drafting the bill…

Focuses on practical guidelines for the implementation of discipline policy at the local level, including suggestions for distinguishing discipline policy for disabled students from discipline policy affecting students in general. (MLF)

The overrepresentation of ethnic minority students, particularly African American males, in the exclusionary discipline consequences of suspension and expulsion has been consistently documented during the past three decades. Children of poverty and those with academic problems are also overrepresented in such discipline consequences. Sadly, a…

Discusses how PL94-142 may cause discipline dilemmas in schools, especially regarding suspension and expulsion, noting difficulties of determining separate discipline policies for handicapped and nonhandicapped students. Notes that the literature, the law, and the courts all point to the need for options for dealing with disciplining special…

The courts have established that students have a right to due process when they are suspended from school for disciplinary reasons, since suspension involves depriving the student of his entitlement to an education. When grade reduction is used for punishing absence or tardiness or to discourage unacceptable behavior, must due process also be…

Discipline of handicapped students is the topic of the lead article in this publication. The author first reviews recent cases regarding expulsion of handicapped students, including "Kaelin v. Grubbs," a 1982 case finding that the same due process procedures that apply to changing the educational placement for handicapped students must…

A brief history of corporal punishment in the public schools, a review of major federal court decisions regarding corporal punishment and due process for students, and an analysis of current trends in disciplinary policy are presented in this report. The conservative trend revealed in school discipline is identified in large part as a response to…