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 allow educators to suspend more students for reasons like disruptive behavior, making it easier for schools to remove students from classrooms and schools. These methods are counterproductive and largely ineffective: “If there’s one thing that psychologists understand, it’s that discipline and punishment don’t work to change behavior,” said Elizabeth Errico, executive director of the Children’s Mental Health Resource Center.

Exclusionary punishments like suspensions and expulsions result in lost learning time that can push already struggling students further behind. They also contribute to the longstanding discipline disparities that are devastating to marginalized groups and can be in violation of students’ civil rights. According to a June 2023 article in Education Week, “prior studies suggest every out-of-school suspension reduces a student’s likelihood of ultimately graduating, and disproportionate discipline practices mean that Black students, for example, can end up missing five times as much school as their white peers for the same misbehaviors.”

Engaging Schools has four decades of experience supporting positive school cultures and climates, and advocates for a research-based, systemic approach to discipline that is restorative and equitable. In this approach, consequences are paired with restorative interventions that address the reasons behind the behavior and provide supports for students to get the help they need to get back on track. Another critical aspect to the approach is what happens in the classroom: teachers are equipped with skills to implement promotion and prevention strategies that engage all students, foster their social and emotional development, and reduce the likelihood of classroom disruptions.

A systemic approach to restorative, accountable, and equitable discipline is still, and always will be, imperative for reaching the goal of schools having positive, safe, and productive learning environments for all students and staff.