School suspension and expulsion are not limited to middle and high school students; these exclusionary approaches to discipline begin in early childhood settings such as elementary schools. Most studies regarding exclusionary discipline have been conducted on the middle and high school level, but there are very limited studies regarding…

School leaders at a middle school in a rural school district in Georgia were looking for ways to reduce poor student behavior, which has a negative impact on school climate. Judicious Discipline, a program based on Kohlberg's 6 stages of moral development, Bandura's social learning theory, and the 3 constitutional rights of freedom, justice, and…

School-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) frameworks have been suggested as a promising approach to reducing disproportionality in school discipline practices; however, few studies have tested this potential, and findings have been mixed. In our sample of 27 urban schools and approximately 15,000 students, risk difference…

Decades of federal economic policies that have concentrated poverty into isolated communities have devastated urban education, and expose youth and families to high stress and trauma. Disproportionately negative outcomes for students of color and those who are economically disadvantaged can be understood as manifestations of negative racial school…

Students who display the most challenging behaviors are more likely to be excluded from the general education learning environment and placed in more restrictive environments such as residential or juvenile justice (JJ) settings. Historically, the approaches used to address the needs of these students have been rooted in reactionary and punitive…

Restorative Practices is a proactive approach to whole-school climate change based on communication and responsibility. It is an approach being developed and refined as an alternative to exclusionary and punitive "zero-tolerance" policies mandated in many schools today. In this article, Laura Mirsky of the International Institute for…