The purpose of this study was to design and implement a Restorative Practice approach to discipline. The challenges of building a positive teacher-student relationship while navigating the demands of zero-tolerance policies have been well documented. Teachers need support and structure to develop and maintain positive teacher-student…

In "Rethinking Chronic Absenteeism," Sarah Winchell Lenhoff and Jeremy Singer reframe chronic absenteeism as a symptom of a complex set of factors affecting the student, family, and community rather than simply an accountability metric for educators, schools, or districts. Lenhoff and Singer identify chronic absenteeism--often defined as…

This brief is our fourth annual review of how states are and could make a difference in school attendance with new policies and practices. Reversing today's chronic absenteeism requires state leaders to make reducing chronic absence a priority. In our work with states, we see how state leadership, especially from governors and state education…

Decades of research has documented the negative effects of physical punishment, including spanking (Heilmann et al., 2021). Since 1998, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has endorsed the use of time out from positive reinforcement (TO) as an alternative to corporal punishment (Sege et al., 2018). Despite urging at the federal level…

Restorative justice (RJ) is both a philosophy and a set of practices meant to repair harm and maintain connection in the face of wrongdoing. While RJ is becoming increasingly popular among K-12 educators and in schools, emphasis is typically on its social justice applications, including its use as an alternative to zero-tolerance discipline…

This study sought to understand how state-level policies inform and promote the implementation of restorative justice in education (RJE). A content analysis of 60 laws revealed that definitions, structures, and supports varied greatly, causing us to question whether policies support a systematic implementation of RJE and how policies can prevent…

In some states, alternative schooling options are provided for specific student populations. State statute or regulation commonly notes which alternatives are available, which entity is responsible for establishing or providing such alternatives and for which student populations these alternatives are made available. This data point highlights…

National trends show that students with disabilities are often disciplined more harshly than regular or general education students. This study aims to compare the percentage of suspensions and expulsions given to students in Louisiana with disabilities and general education students in Head Start through grade twelve over a five-year period based…

We examined changes in school discipline policies and the odds of suspension for students by race in one state. Consistent with previous research findings, Black students continue to be suspended at higher rates than White students. School district code of conduct policies indicated that many school districts have started to incorporate…

This data point highlights state policy permitting or prohibiting the use of corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is permitted in at least 18 states, is prohibited in at least 27 states and the District of Columbia, and at least five states did not specify their policy in statute or regulation. Of the minimum 18 states where it is permitted,…

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…

Exclusionary discipline policies in K-12 public schools have faced severe scrutiny over the past two decades due to the injurious effects on students' lives. Elevated drop-out rates, anti-social behavior, alienation from peers and school staff, along with lagging behind academically is a sampling of the devastating outcomes students face who are…

There is an epidemic of race-related suspension disparities in a local school system within the State of Maryland. Minority students are more incessantly referred for disciplinary actions and suspended at higher rates than their white peers. Research shows there are significant contributors to race-related suspension disparities. These disparate…

Over the past decade, research into principals' work intensification has revealed that principals spend significant work hours on student discipline and attendance issues, and that they report high levels of emotionally draining situations. In the current study, we examined the relationship between student discipline issues and principals'…

States use statute and regulations to substantiate which behaviors "may" result in a student being suspended or expelled, with varying degrees of discretion allowed at local levels. This data point captures the offenses for which students may be suspended or expelled. At least 32 states and the District of Columbia allow suspension or…