Students with disabilities (SWDs) face challenges in following rules and expectations. The problem addressed by this study was that SWDs experience disproportionate levels of exclusionary discipline when compared to their non-disabled peers. This quantitative causal-comparative study examined the impact of different levels of positive behavior…

This study examines the impact of an alternative to suspension program on second semester office discipline referrals for participating students. The study compares students who completed the intervention program with those who would have qualified during the school year prior to the program being available at the school district. The study was…

Teachers' sense-making of student behavior determines whether students get in trouble and are formally disciplined. Status categories, such as race, can influence perceptions of student culpability, but the degree to which teachers' initial identification of student misbehavior exacerbates racial disproportionality in discipline receipt is…

Teachers' sensemaking of student behavior determines whether students get in trouble and are formally disciplined. Status categories, such as race, can influence perceptions of student culpability, but the degree to which teachers' initial identification of student misbehavior exacerbates racial disproportionality in discipline receipt is unknown.…

Historically, African American students have been overrepresented in special education (National Education Association [NEA], 2007. Specifically, African American students have been identified with an emotional disturbance (ED) in special education at an excessive rate in comparison to students of other racial and ethnic categories (Office of…

This study examined teacher personal characteristics and how this impacted their discipline style and office discipline referral (ODR) frequency. It was hypothesized that certain classroom discipline styles in combination with a teacher's personal characteristics may influence inequitable discipline referral rates in non-White student populations.…

Disproportionate office referrals through teachers in Grades 3-5 based on their students' race are documented. At a Title I elementary school in the northeastern part of Virginia, non-White students are referred to the office for behavior issues 5% more times than their White peers. Guided by Bell's critical race theory, the purpose of this study…

School counselors are uniquely positioned within the P-12 education system to ensure that all students meet developmental needs in academic, career, and social-emotional areas in order to become successful and contributing members of society. School counselors collaborate with other school staff and parents/caregivers to ensure that students…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate implementation of a whole school restorative practices model in Saint Paul Public Schools, Minnesota. Their model aims to embed practices to develop equitable relationships, engage students in learning, and respond relationally to behavioral concerns over a three-year period. The evaluation followed three…

Office discipline referrals (ODRs) are a data source commonly used by school teams to identify students who need behavioral intervention. In this brief, the National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) and the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) provide a brief synthesis of the research on using ODRs has a…

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…

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…

This research provides a unique seven-year trend analysis indicating that, while California has seen a decline in the use of suspensions in schools prior to the pandemic, the pace of the decline has slowed and large racial disparities in suspension rates remain. The research supports renewed advocacy efforts to eliminate schools' use of security…

In August 2016, Illinois Senate Bill 100 (SB 100) restricted the use of zero tolerance disciplinary practices within public schools when addressing student behavior. In efforts to make school discipline less exclusionary and more effective, SB 100 mandated educators exhaust all means of interventions prior to suspending or expelling a student.…

These are the appendixes for the report, "Changes in Exclusionary and Nonexclusionary Discipline in Grades K-5 Following State Policy Reform in Oregon" (ED610682). Students in grades K-5 who receive exclusionary discipline are more likely to experience chronic absenteeism, academic failure, and disciplinary problems throughout their…