Across the country, many schools have adopted restorative practices in an effort to improve school climate and student outcomes while reducing exclusionary discipline. Restorative practices are designed to proactively build community, improve relationships, and help students amend harm when conflict occurs. Using 6 years of student survey data and…

In this article, we explore how educational leadership, administration, and special education students can effectively use Coordinated Early Intervening Services (34 CFR §300.226) funding. These funds, available under IDEA Part B, aim to address racial disproportionalities in educational opportunities. Through a case study, we examine how a school…

Research in school discipline suggests that punitive and exclusionary sanctions have adverse effects on students and are disproportionately administered to students of color and low-income students. School-based restorative justice practices have recently gained attention as an alternative disciplinary approach that emphasizes the reparation of…

This is the executive summary for the report, "Is California Doing Enough to Close the School Discipline Gap?" In California, a combination of statewide and local efforts has been implemented to reduce the use of punitive suspensions in public K-12 schools. Current state data trends reflect these efforts, showing that far fewer students…

Social science can be instrumental in illuminating responses to persistent social problems like racial or economic inequality. And a powerful starting point for studies that pursue this goal is a nuanced understanding of the problem at hand. That is, with a well-developed conceptualization of the contours, causes, and consequences of a given…

A teacher's authority in a classroom is no longer assumed--it has to be earned. Without establishing a baseline of rapport and mutual respect, cultural misunderstandings between teachers and students can devolve into chaos. Gabriel Benn, hip-hop artist and former school teacher and administrator, shares real-life examples of how rapport can go…

This report addresses four key student outcomes based on longevity in the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program in the Austin Independent School District (AISD).

This summary document presents findings from a Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northwest study that identifies how frequently students in six selected urban districts received exclusionary discipline during the 2011/12 school year, the most common reasons for such discipline, the percentage of students receiving multiple suspensions, and how…

Culturally responsible implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) requires that schools monitor indices of disciplinary practices among minority groups. School teams are encouraged to calculate risk indices and risk ratios to evaluate the extent to which students of all groups are removed from classrooms…

This study uses 2011/12 data from the Oregon Department of Education to examine whether English learner students in six Oregon districts received exclusionary discipline more often and were suspended for more instructional days than non-English learner students. The study also identifies the most common reasons for exclusionary discipline for…

To measure the outcomes of youth transitioning out of foster care, states are required to administer the national Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) survey to cohorts of youth at ages 17, 19 and 21. The Children's Bureau shares highlights that compare the outcomes reported by youth in the first NYTD cohort at ages 17 and 19. With the second wave…

The Children's Bureau released highlights from state National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) data submissions from Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2013 (October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013). In this third year of data collection, states reported information on (1) all youth and young adults who received independent living services during FFY 2013…

This research brief report provides highlights from the full report (published separately). In 2009-2010, Positive Behavior Support (PBS) was implemented on 80 Austin Independent School District (AISD) campuses with support from the AISD PBS team. Through PBS, campuses develop a continuum of systemic and individualized strategies delivered within…

Understanding disparities in school readiness among America's children when they begin kindergarten is critically important, now more than ever. In today's 21st century global economy, it is expected that the great majority of children will complete high school ready to enter college or begin a career, and assume their civic responsibilities. This…

The article discusses a research instrument developed and utilized by the Pittsburgh Girls Study that asked young girls (ages 7 and 8) and their caretakers to report on the girls' involvement in a variety of problem behaviors. In this article, the authors evaluate whether comprehension, prevalence, and caretaker-child concordance of problem…