school-discipline-consensus-report

School Discipline Consensus Report:

Strategies from the Field to Keep Students Engaged in School and Out of the Juvenile Jus4ce System Emily Morgan, Senior Policy Analyst, Council of State Governments Jus;ce Center Nina Salomon, Senior Policy Analyst, Council of State Governments Jus;ce Center

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 1

Na4onal nonprofit, nonpar;san membership associa4on of state government officials Represents all three branches of state government Provides prac;cal advice informed by the best available evidence

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 2

Overview Why Focus On School Discipline?

How the School Discipline Consensus Project Breaks New Ground How to Get Started

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 3

Suspending Kids from School Has Become Commonplace • Millions of students are suspended na4onally for minor misconduct • Suspended students risk – falling behind academically and dropping out – coming into contact with the juvenile jus;ce system

3.5 Million Es;mated In-­‐School Suspensions Na;onally

3.3 Million Es;mated Out-­‐of-­‐School Suspensions Na;onally

*2009-­‐10 State and Na4onal Es4ma4ons, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Educa4on

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 4

Groundbreaking Texas Study Pushed States to Scru;nize Approaches to School Discipline

Nearly 60% of all middle and high school students experienced suspension And 15% of all students were disciplined 11 or more separate 4mes

*Breaking Schools’ Rules, 2011, Council of State Governments. Students were followed through grades seven through twelve.

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 5

Dispropor;onate Impact on Students of Color Na;onal Secondary School Suspension Rates

by Race (SY 1972-­‐73 and SY 2009-­‐10) 24.3

25 20 15

11.8

12

10

7.1

6.1 6 5.6 5

2.4

0

Black

8.4

1972-­‐73

La4no

White

2.3

2009-­‐10

American Indian

Asian/Pacific Islander

*Out of School & Off Track: The Overuse of Suspensions in American Middle and High Schools, 2013, UCLA Civil Rights Project

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 6

Dispropor;onate Impact on Students with Disabili;es, Par;cularly Black Males Percentage of Secondary School Students with Disabili;es Suspended (2009-­‐2010) 40

36

35 30 25

22

23

22

15

19

17

20

12

10

10

6

7

5 0

All

African American

La;no

Male

White

English Learner Status

Female

*Out of School & Off Track: The Overuse of Suspensions in American Middle and High Schools, 2013, UCLA Civil Rights Project

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 7

Realizing Top Goals Set by Policymakers Requires a Strategy to Improve School Discipline

Make young people feel

welcome and supported in school

Improve high school

gradua4on rates

Close the achievement gap between white students and students of color

Reduce the number of youth locked up in juvenile correc4onal facili4es for minor offenses

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 8

School Districts and States Taking Ac;on

Over a dozen big city school districts have At least 8 states in 2012/2013 passed recently overhauled their school codes of legisla4on to improve school discipline conduct.

As of October 2013, 13 states have statutes direc4ng schools to improve school climate Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 9

School Districts and State Systems Are Seeing Results New York City Public Schools Student Suspensions (SY 2010-­‐11 to SY 2012-­‐13) 80,000

73,441

70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000

-­‐27%

REDUCTION

53,465

30,000 20,000 10,000 0

2010-­‐2011

2012-­‐2013

*New York Civil Liber4es Union, Student Safety Act Data. Suspension data includes both in-­‐school suspensions and out-­‐of-­‐school suspensions.

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 10

Overview Why Focus On School Discipline?

How the School Discipline Consensus Project Breaks New Ground How to Get Started

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 11

The Consensus Report Breaks New Ground Field-­‐Driven and Prac4cal

Consensus-­‐Based

Comprehensive

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 12

Partners and Funders

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 13

Consensus-­‐Building Project Par4cipants Educa;on

Health

Law Enforcement

Juvenile Jus;ce

Council of State overnments Jus4ce Center | 14 | 14 Council of SGtate Governments Jus4ce Center

Consensus-­‐Building Project Par4cipants Advocates

Researchers

Policymakers

Council of State overnments Jus4ce Center | 15 | 15 Council of SGtate Governments Jus4ce Center

Condi4ons for Learning By crea4ng welcoming, suppor4ve, and secure learning environments, schools can reduce the likelihood that students will misbehave and improve educators’ ability to manage student behavior.

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 16

Condi;ons for Learning Recommenda;ons (Examples): • Schools should be able to measure and track school climate indicators

• Codes of conduct should emphasize expecta4ons for students; make clear suspension is a last resort

• Graduated restora4ve responses should be in place

• Educators should be provided skills to improve classroom engagement

Reform in Ac;on: Bal4more City Public School revises code of conduct star4ng 2008-­‐2009 school year Bal;more City Public School, Out-­‐of-­‐ School Suspensions (2006-­‐2010) 18,000 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0

16,752

-­‐43%

REDUCTION

2006-­‐2007

9,712

2009-­‐2010

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 17

Condi;ons for Learning • Develop a vision for school climate that is shared among students, staff, families, Reform in Ac;on: and others in the school community • Examine school climate/discipline/safety data and engage in collec4ve conversa4ons to determine trends and iden4fy areas for improvement • Iden4fy priori4es for school climate improvement and integrate them into exis4ng school improvement plans • Establish mechanisms for regularly reviewing and revising the code of conduct, and ensuring staff, students, and parents are familiar with code • Create on-­‐campus op4ons to respond to students’ misconduct, address behavioral needs, and permit a cooling-­‐off period, while ensuring students stay on-­‐track with their studies • Provide professional development opportuni4es and ongoing support to help build educators’ skills in crea4ng posi4ve climates and condi4ons for learning

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 18

Targeted Behavioral Interven4ons Some students who are repeatedly involved in their schools’ discipline systems may require addi4onal supports and interven4ons including those that address unmet behavioral health, academic, or other needs.

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 19

Targeted Behavioral Interven;ons Recommenda;ons (Examples): • Districts, schools, and educators should collect data that iden4fies and supports students who need targeted behavioral interven4ons

Reform in Ac;on: Aus4n Independent School District EWS used with student-­‐support teams Aus;n Independent School District, Cita;ons Issued (2011-­‐2013)

• Student support teams and community partnerships should be at every school to oversee behavioral challenges

• Students removed from school for disciplinary reasons should be placed in quality alterna4ve educa4onal segngs

1,200

1,045

1,000 800 600

-­‐29%

REDUCTION

739

400 200 0

2010-­‐2011

2012-­‐2013

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 20

Targeted Behavioral Interven;ons Reform in Am c;on: • Use a data-­‐driven process for iden4fying students early who need ore intensive behavioral interven4ons • Conduct assessments to beher understand the prevalence of behavioral health needs, other risk factors of students, and gather informa4on about school and community resources • Create and engage a student support team to iden4fy students, implement interven4ons, and monitor progress • Establish partnerships with community organiza4ons, private providers, and others to provide a range of interven4on strategies matched to students’ behavioral health needs • Develop systems and structures to support students’ transi4on back to the tradi4onal school environment from alterna4ve educa4on placements and juvenile jus4ce facili4es

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 21

School-­‐Police Partnerships Working collabora4vely, schools and local law enforcement can ensure schools are safe and that students are not arrested for minor misconduct.

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 22

School-­‐Police Partnerships Recommenda;ons (Examples): • School-­‐based officers should be properly selected, trained, supervised, and evaluated; off-­‐campus officers should be trained on alterna4ves to arrest

Reform in Ac;on: The NJ Department of Law & Public Safety and the NJ Department of Educa4on developed a model MOU in 2011.

• Police should not engage in rou4ne classroom management and should rely on the school’s disciplinary system to address minor offenses

• School systems and law enforcement agencies should create detailed memorandums of understanding

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 23

School Police Partnerships Reform in Ac;on:

• Work with local law enforcement to engage in a collabora4ve, data driven process to determine the best school-­‐police partnership model given the school’s dis4nct needs • In partnership with local police and the school community, clarify school-­‐based officers’ roles and responsibili4es (par4cularly when officers should be engaged in disciplinary mahers) and communicate these with school staff and other stakeholders • Collect and review data to ensure school staff are following policies about when to involve officers in addressing student misconduct • Iden4fy opportuni4es for cross training among school-­‐based officers and school staff

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 24

Courts and Juvenile Jus4ce Recognizing the nega4ve long-­‐term consequences of involvement in the juvenile jus4ce system, every effort should be made to keep students in school and out of court, par4cularly through diversion of students who commit minor school-­‐based offenses.

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 25

Courts and Juvenile Jus;ce Recommenda;ons (Examples): • School districts and local juvenile jus4ce systems should share a common understanding of how many students schools refer each year to the juvenile jus4ce system and for what offenses

Reform in Ac;on: The Clayton County, GA, Juvenile Jus4ce Collabora4ve established clear protocols for referring discipline cases to court in 2003 School-­‐Related Offenses, Clayton County, GA (1995-­‐2012)

• Determine how, and under what circumstances, informa4on regarding a student’s risk of re-­‐offending and his/her educa4on record should be shared to improve diversion opportuni4es

• Youth in juvenile correc4ons should receive educa4onal opportuni4es that meet the same standards of community schools

Total Cases

Disrup4ng a Public School

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 26

Courts and Juvenile Jus;ce Reform in Ac;on:

• If possible, track data about the number and characteris4cs of students referred from the school to the juvenile jus4ce system, as well as the types of offenses commihed • Create partnerships with courts to iden4fy poten4al diversion op4ons for youth referred to courts for minor misbehavior • Work with juvenile courts and proba4on staff to determine most appropriate placement for reentering youth • Designate a transi4on coordinator to develop an integrated services and academic plan that facilitates reentering youths’ immediate enrollment, credit transfers, and class placements

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 27

Cross-­‐Cufng Theme: Informa;on Sharing Recommenda;ons (Examples):

Resources:

• Stakeholders working with students should develop guiding principles to govern sharing of student level informa4on

• While FERPA is most relevant, other laws may apply to student level informa4on including HIPAA, Federal Drug and Alcohol Confiden4ality laws, Child Abuse Preven4on Treatment Act

• Report provides case scenarios and addi4onal resources for sharing student level informa4on with behavioral health prac44oners, law enforcement officials, courts, and others

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 28

Cross-­‐Cufng Theme: Data Collec;on Recommenda;ons (Examples):

Resources:

• Standardize disciplinary data defini4ons within each state and ensure consistent applica4on of these defini4ons

• Collect and publicly report school discipline data annually from each school district in a way that is accessible and user-­‐friendly • Examine school discipline and other related data to diagnose exis4ng needs; inform strategic planning; guide decision making and resource alloca4on; track progress; and measure effec4veness of policies and prac4ces

• Report provides examples of leading states in disciplinary data collec4on and repor4ng: Virginia, Wisconsin, and Maryland

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 29

Overview Why Focus On School Discipline?

How the School Discipline Consensus Project Breaks New Ground

How to Get Started

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 30

Gefng Started Assemble key stakeholders commihed to addressing school discipline and dispari4es • Use exis4ng team structures (e.g., leadership team, school improvement team) • Include community leaders and other public agencies (health, child welfare, juvenile jus4ce, law enforcement) Examine data to iden4fy trends and dispari4es

• ISS, OSS, EXP data • Disaggregate by race/ethnicity, gender, disability status, grade level • Include counts of incidents by offense type • School climate survey data • Behavioral health survey data Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 31

Gefng Started Iden;fy goals based on examina4on of the data, greatest needs within the school, and available resources • Addressing dispropor4onality • Improving condi4ons for learning • Addressing students with behavioral health needs Develop ac;on plan to map out strategies for achieving short-­‐ and long-­‐term goals

• Integrate with exis4ng school improvement plans • Con4nue to collect and examine data to determine progress towards goals

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 32

Thank You Join our distribu4on list to receive CSG Jus4ce Center project updates!

www.csgjus4cecenter.org/subscribe For more informa4on, contact Nina Salomon or Emily Morgan at nsalomon@csg.org or emorgan@csg.org

The presentation was developed by members of the Council of State Governments Justice Center staff. The statements made reflect the views of the authors, and should not be considered the official position of the Justice Center, the members of the Council of State Governments, or the funding agency supporting the work. Citations available for statistics presented in preceding slides available on CSG Justice Center web site.

Council of State Governments Jus4ce Center | 33

KILIAN BETLACH, PRINCIPAL ELMHURST COMMUNITY PREP OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

OAKLAND, CA 380 STUDENTS GRADES 6-8 6.3% Latino 34.0% 59.7%

AfricanAmerican Asian/ Pacific Islander

Elmhurst Community Prep

99%

Low income

EXTERNAL SUSPENSIONS 2012-2014 16% 14%

12.4%

12%

All Middle

10% 8%

5.6%

6%

East Oakland Middle ECP

4% 2% 0% 2012-2013

2013-2014

Elmhurst Community Prep

q 52% reduction in suspensions. q 51% reduction in African-American suspensions. q 32% reduction in African-American male suspensions.

Elmhurst Community Prep

OUT OF CLASS REFERRALS 2012-2014 900 800 700

800 623

600 500

592 361

400

2012-2013 2013-2014

300 200 100 0 Total Referrals

African-American Referrals

Elmhurst Community Prep

q 21% reduction in total referrals q 22% reduction in AfricanAmerican referrals

Elmhurst Community Prep

RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION 2013-2014 The ECP Family

§ BSP § counseling § SpEd § Caseload work § Peer mediation § Restorative service

§ Facilities upgrade § Advisory & Town Hall § Restorative Discipline § P.R.E.P. values § Extended Learning Time

§ Academic mentors § Focal students

§ Blended Learning § RiseUp acceleration classes § Extended Learning Time

Elmhurst Community Prep