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Stay the course on restorative, accountable, and equitable discipline

The recent wave of school shootings is among the reasons cited for the movement underway in the country to support or expand the use of punishment and exclusion to address behavior concerns. Bills have been introduced in many states that ...Read More

Memorializing Carol Miller Lieber

Carol Miller Lieber, a leader at Engaging Schools for four decades, passed away in her home in late October. Facilitating academic success, healthy development, and postsecondary aspirations for every student were at the heart of her work. Carol got the ...Read More

Chapter 2 – Essential Features of an Effective Model

Engaging Schools Welcomes Edna Olive as Associate Director

Edna brings over 25 years of experience as a classroom teacher, school administrator, coach, facilitator, consultant, and entrepreneur, with a focus on positive and restorative approaches, school and district culture and climate, and educational equity. She knew as a young ...Read More

Climate & Culture

As a result of the disruptions caused by the pandemic, schools all over the country have seen a significant rise in unwanted student behavior, from refusal to follow directives to physical fights. Classrooms and public spaces feel out of control, ...Read More

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools partners with Engaging Schools to address inequity

The impacts of COVID-19 on students and a national movement for racial justice are compelling many districts to explore ways they can implement supportive and restorative discipline practices as students readjust to in-person classrooms. NBC News covered the story in ...Read More

Deborah Childs-Bowen Leadership for Equity Award Presented to Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools

The Engaging Schools Board of Directors is pleased to present the first Deborah Childs-Bowen Leadership for Equity Award to Dr. Charlos Banks and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools District Code and Task Force Teams. The award was created to honor ...Read More

Director of Finance and Administration

Engaging Schools seeks an experienced non-profit management professional to lead and direct finance, human resources, operations, and information technology systems. Engaging Schools, a national non-profit organization, envisions school communities where all adults support each and every student to strengthen skills ...Read More

We stand for racial justice and equity.

Engaging Schools joins those standing collectively against racism. We are horrified by the recent deaths of Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor -- the latest public atrocities in the more than 400-year history of continuous oppression faced ...Read More

Frameworks for Increasing Equity and Academic Success

Our Engaged Classrooms approach for secondary schools offers three key pedagogical frameworks that support increases in equity and the academic success and achievement of every student. They are: Equity-Centered Classrooms, which emphasize culturally responsive and developmentally informed practices that affirm ...Read More

How do educators do what may be the single most important thing for their school communities?

One of the essential questions at the heart of our Engaged Classrooms approach is “How do I foster and sustain strong and supportive personal relationships?” For adolescents, an emotional connection with adults is perhaps the single most important factor for ...Read More

Chapter 4 – Engaged Classrooms Form

Engaged Classrooms Graphics Form

In Celebration of the Life of Dr. Deborah Childs-Bowen

Deborah Childs-Bowen was a member of the Engaging Schools board of directors for twelve years, serving as its chairperson for seven and a half of those years.  She passed away after a long illness on Dec. 16, 2019. Deborah led ...Read More

The Engaged Classrooms Institute

The Learning Challenge Multiple factors contribute to student disengagement at the secondary level. Unmet learning needs and a lack of student social and emotional skillfulness and well-being can interfere with academic and school success. Some students don't feel safe, connected, ...Read More

District Codes of Character, Conduct, and Support

Our former Code was short and focused only on discipline and consequences. Our new Community Code of Character, Conduct, and Support is now comprehensive and a pathway to restorative and equitable learning. Chapel Hill (NC) educator and Code Task Force ...Read More

The National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development final report: tools you can use from Engaging Schools

We at Engaging Schools were eager to see the final report from the Aspen Institute’s National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development. We wholeheartedly support all of its recommendations. While all are in our wheelhouse, we'd like to highlight ...Read More

Codes of character, conduct, and support foster safe, civil, and caring school communities

Engaging Schools continues to support school districts across the country to reduce the use, overuse, and disproportional use of punishment and exclusion, and maximize supports and opportunities for all students. As part of this work, we are partnering with a ...Read More

Mission, Vision, and Core Values

Mission Engaging Schools collaborates with educators to create equitable and engaging classrooms and schools that support students' social, emotional, and academic learning and development. Vision School communities where all adults are empowered to support each and every student to strengthen ...Read More

Integrating Learning and Life Competencies into Every High School Classroom

We invite you to learn about embedding social and emotional learning (SEL) in high school classrooms through a free, 30-minute webinar which we presented in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Engaging Schools provides a rationale for ...Read More

Facilitation Tips for Discussing Tough Topics with Students

Facilitation Tips for Discussing Tough Topics with Students (Adapted from Engaging Schools’ The Advisory Guide, https://bit.ly/2CR4FiW) Tough topics arise. They may concern cliques, a drinking-and-driving incident, or national events like mass shootings. Students know what is happening and their concerns ...Read More

We need to grapple with bias if we want to eliminate disproportional discipline

In the context of looking at existing beliefs that can lead to over-suspension, over-referral, and stubborn disproportionality in school discipline, we need to consider different kinds of bias, both implicit and explicit, which can get in the way of building ...Read More

Equitable, restorative, and accountable discipline is a must in every school

A recent op-ed and a law professor’s rebuttal offer a glimpse into current tension around the US Department of Education’s position on schoolwide discipline. Background: In 2014 the US Department of Education (DoE) sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to all ...Read More

Annual Report

Click here to see our most recent annual report.

Realizing the Full Vision of School Discipline Reform

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center has released a new report, Realizing the Full Vision of School Discipline Reform: A Framework for Statewide Change, which documents how five states have reduced their reliance on suspensions while moving toward ...Read More

Recommended resources for helping students cope with mass violence

The following resources are once again relevant to recent events. The National Association of School Psychologists' guidelines for helping students cope with terrorism and other kinds of mass violence provides support for adults in schools. Here is an excerpt: "Upper ...Read More

Engaging Schools Publishes White Paper on Embedding Social and Emotional Learning in High School Classrooms

Engaging schools is pleased to announce a new white paper, Embedding Social and Emotional Learning in High School Classrooms, to help districts and schools meet the challenges of implementing social and emotional learning (SEL) in high schools. Drawing on more ...Read More

White paper: Embedding Social and Emotional Learning in High School Classrooms, & Virtual Learning Lesson Snapshot

Embedding Social and Emotional Learning in High School Classrooms The white paper, funded by the NoVo Foundation, presents our framework for using students’ mindsets as an entry point for teaching four broad student skill sets – self-awareness, self-management, social efficacy, ...Read More

White Paper: Embedding Social and Emotional Learning in High School Classrooms, & Virtual Learning Lesson Snapshot

Embedding Social and Emotional Learning in High School Classrooms

Well-researched strategies exist for implementing social and emotional learning (SEL) in elementary grades in ways that reach and impact every child, but there is insufficient clarity and far less research on how to implement comprehensive SEL in high school settings. ...Read More

Resources for adults in schools post-Charlottesville

Thanks to the Massachusetts Teachers Association and others for collecting these resources to help adults in schools as they respond to hate and bigotry with their students and peers. “Seven ways that teachers can respond to the evil of Charlottesville, ...Read More

SWDSS Administration Survey

Schoolwide Discipline and Student Support Diagnostic Administration Survey

SWDSS Student Support Staff Survey

Schoolwide Discipline and Student Support Diagnostic Student Support Staff Survey  

SWDSS Teacher Survey

Schoolwide Discipline and Student Support Diagnostic Teacher Survey

Students are more likely to graduate if we help them successfully adjust to high school

Our board of directors includes many educators with deep experience as practitioners and researchers. One is Jenny Nagaoka, who – along with John Gomperts of America’s Promise Alliance – recently published a commentary in Education Week citing ways to help ...Read More

Shifting Gears recognized by Teachers College Record

Since it was released last year, Shifting Gears: Recalibrating Schoolwide Discipline and Student Support has been an important, hands-on resource for hundreds of school and district leaders working on school climate, culture and discipline matters. Now Shifting Gears has received ...Read More

Syracuse City School District

The Impact of Developing and Implementing a Code of Conduct, Character, and Support in the Syracuse City School District The Syracuse City School District (SCSD) in central New York State is a richly diverse district that serves over 19,000 students ...Read More

Resources for teachers, counselors, administrators, and families responding to the election and its aftermath

Engaging Schools has gathered the following resources that we hope will be helpful to you in supporting civil discourse, respect, and a positive environment for all students as you respond with them to the aftermath of the election, and as ...Read More

Engaging Schools joins Call to Action to U.S. Department of Education

Engaging Schools joined over 300 other signatories in a Call to Action submitted on June 1 to the US Department of Education (DOE) advocating for practices that reach and teach the whole child. The DOE is supporting states in implementing ...Read More

Protected: Engaging Schools Diagnostic Tools

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Two new articles on school discipline from the staff of Engaging Schools

Engaging Schools' Carol Miller Lieber and Michele Tissiere published "Recalibrating Climate, Culture, and Discipline" in Principal Leadership, a publication of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. And Larry Dieringer participated in a roundtable discussion covered in a special section ...Read More

Honoring Shelley Berman

Recently, Engaging Schools staff and board members gathered to celebrate Shelley Berman’s 32 years of continuous service to our organization, and his transition from active to emeritus member of our board of directors. He’s currently interim superintendent of schools in ...Read More

Dan Losen and Larry Dieringer Conversation, Part 7: Getting Started

Dan and Larry wrap up their conversation about developing equitable, supportive, and restorative systems of school discipline by discussing how districts can start making changes. They touch on leadership and teams, and touch on SEL and social context as well. ...Read More

Dan Losen and Larry Dieringer Conversation, Part 6: Policies, Police, and the Role of Data

In this part of the conversation between Dan Losen and Larry Dieringer based on their shared focus on developing and sustaining equitable, supportive, and restorative systems of school discipline, they touch on policy, the role of police, and how data ...Read More

Dan Losen and Larry Dieringer Conversation, Part 5: Obstacles to More Effective Systems of School Discipline

Here’s another installment of Dan and Larry’s discussion based on their shared focus on developing and sustaining equitable, supportive, and restorative systems of school discipline. They talk about challenges including the status quo, lack of professional development, teacher preparation, and ...Read More

Dan Losen and Larry Dieringer Conversation, Part 4: Practices that Create Accountable and Restorative Discipline

In this installment of Dan and Larry's discussion based on their shared focus on developing and sustaining equitable, supportive, and restorative systems of school discipline, they cover remedies and approaches to the problem. See previous installments here. Larry: In your book, ...Read More

Dan Losen and Larry Dieringer Conversation, Part 3: The Importance of Developmental Competence among Educators

In this part of Dan and Larry's discussion, they talk about the importance of understanding adolescent development and how fear and stereotyping can play into disproportionate discipline.  See previous installments here. Larry: In our work we talk about both developmental ...Read More

Dan Losen and Larry Dieringer Conversation, Part 2: Out-of-School Suspensions, In-School Suspensions, and Teacher Support

In this second part of their wide-ranging conversation, Larry and Dan talk about the importance of professional development, support, and cultural awareness in reducing suspensions, and some of the pitfalls that can take place when those are not present. Larry: ...Read More

Dan Losen and Larry Dieringer Conversation, Part 1: The Nature of the Disproportional Discipline Problem and Promising Approaches

Engaging Schools' Executive Director Larry Dieringer sat down for a chat with Dr. Daniel Losen, Director of the Center for Civil Rights Remedies at The Civil Rights Project at UCLA. Dan is also the author and editor of influential studies and ...Read More

NAEP to assess noncognitive skills, starts 2017

Education Week reports that starting in 2017, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) will include measures of motivation, mindset, and other noncognitive factors. According to Education Week: The background survey will include five core areas—grit, desire for learning, school climate, technology use, and socioeconomic ...Read More