Topic: Schoolwide Discipline and Student Support

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 ‘Growing awareness’: Schools focus new policies on equity with students back in school. One such…

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 allow educators to suspend more students for reasons like disruptive behavior, making it easier for…

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 growing number of school districts to revise (or create) their codes of conduct, which we…

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 an accountable, restorative school culture based on shared values. As Executive Director Larry Dieringer said…

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 states and districts advising them that they were vulnerable to federal investigation if they did…

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 a more comprehensive vision of school discipline reform—one that ensures that efforts to limit disciplinary…

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 a positive review from the highly regarded Teachers College Record: “Shifting Gears is a text…

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 on school discipline and expulsion in the same issue.

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. See previous installments here. Larry: If a district wants to do something, what are some…

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 shines light on the problem and solutions. See previous installments here. Larry: What Federal and/or…

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 structural racism and inequity. See previous installments here. Larry: What generally do you see as…

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, you talk about specific remedies that have begun to generate evidence of impact and success….

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 and cultural competence. Among people who work with adolescents, there may be a lack of…

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: We see a lot of districts revising their codes of conduct. One of the most…

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 books about school discipline, most recently Closing the School Discipline Gap: Equitable Remedies for Excessive Exclusion. Larry…

This week, DoSomething has partnered with Dignity in Schools for a week of action to amplify the stories of inequitable, discriminatory, and inappropriate school discipline. Unfolding on the web and Twitter (follow the #Suspended4WHAT hashtag), this action shares stories gathered from students nationwide about how disciplinary actions with sometimes terrible consequences followed minor actions. Here’s today’s…

Engaging Schools was one of the organizations recognized by Eastern Bank at its annual Community Quarterback awards ceremony. We were honored for our work helping the Eugene Wright Academy, a middle school in Chelsea, MA, address schoolwide discipline and student support, a project supported by Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation. The awards ceremony included legendary football quarterback Doug Flutie…

“You Can’t Fix What You Don’t Look At: Acknowledging Race in Addressing Racial Discipline Disparities,” by Prudence Carter, Russell Skiba, Mariella Arredondo, and Mica Pollock, is the fifth in a series of briefing papers published by the Discipline Disparities Research-to-Practice Collaborative. Based at Indiana University and supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies and Open Society Foundation,…

On Tuesday, March 3, Engaging Schools Executive Director Larry Dieringer will participate in “From the Police Precinct to the Principal’s Office: The Challenges Facing School Districts One Year After the Release of Federal School Discipline Guidance,” a Congressional briefing exploring changes underway more than a year after the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice released guidance…

In its October 17 show, the radio show and podcast “This American Life” aired “Is This Working?” which focused on the challenges presented by school discipline. The episode looks at a variety of challenges, suggesting that no one has a clear sense of what works well to keep young people safe, secure, and engaged. For…

In our ongoing series in conjunction with National Bullying Prevention Month, we’ll consider recommendations that will help educators and school leaders to determine whether their classroom or school’s conditions will properly support a program that helps students identify, resist, and address various forms of bullying and harassment. While these recommendations were developed for and adapted from Countering Bullying and…

In conjunction with October’s status as National Bullying Prevention Month, we’re sharing a look inside our related publication, Countering Bullying and Harassment: Skill-Based Lessons to Move from Bystander to Ally. Engaging Schools published this curriculum, focused on grades 6-10, in 2013. Author Jane Harrison, who is also an Engaging Schools professional services consultant, brought her…

A recent WRVO public radio news report, “Syracuse school district has new discipline guidelines” shares news about the progress that the Syracuse, New York public schools have made toward creating more restorative, less punitive disciplinary measures. In collaboration with Engaging Schools’ Schoolwide Discipline and Student Support program, the district convened a 50-member task force that…