Reducing Student Classroom Removals

Overview

To ensure that all children receive a high quality education, and to close the achievement gap between children meeting the challenging State academic standards and those children who are not meeting such standards, each local educational agency plan shall describe how the local educational agency will support efforts to reduce the overuse of discipline practices that remove students from the classroom, which may include identifying and supporting schools with high rates of discipline, disaggregated by each of the subgroups of students.

Statute from ESEA as amended through P.L. 114-95, enacted December 10, 2015 (ESSA)

To ensure that all children receive a high quality education, and to close the achievement gap between children meeting the challenging State academic standards and those children who are not meeting such standards, each local educational agency plan shall describe:

• how the local educational agency will support efforts to reduce the overuse of discipline practices that remove students from the classroom, which may include identifying and supporting schools with high rates of discipline, disaggregated by each of the subgroups of students. 1112(b)(11)

An eligible school operating a schoolwide program shall develop a comprehensive plan (or amend a plan for such a program that was in existence on the day before the date of the enactment of the ESSA:

• address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly the needs of those at risk of not meeting the challenging State academic standards, through activities which may include:
  • counseling, school-based mental health programs, specialized instructional support services, mentoring services, and strategies to improve students' skills outside the academic subject areas 1114(b)(7)(A)(iii)(I)
  • implementation of a school tiered model to prevent and address problem behavior, and early intervening services, coordinated with similar activities and services carried out under IDEA 1114(b)(7)(iii)(III)

To assist targeted assistance schools and local educational agencies to meet their responsibility to provide for all their students served under this part the opportunity to meet the challenging State academic standards, each targeted assistance program shall:

• serve participating students identified as eligible children under subsection (c), including by:
  • using methods and instructional strategies to strengthen the academic program of the school through activities, which may include:
    • a school tiered model to prevent and address behavior problems, and early intervening services, coordinated with similar activities and services carried out under IDEA 1115(b)(2)(B)(ii)

Resources

Restorative Discipline Practices in Texas - TEA

Institute for Restorative Justice and Restorative Dialogue - UT School of Social Work

Supporting and Responding to Behavior: Evidence-Based Classroom Strategies for Teachers

School Discipline Data Indicators: A Guide for Districts and Schools - April 2017

Why Restorative Practices Benefit All Students

The Collaboration for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning

School Suspensions Have Plunged: We Don't Yet Know If That's Good News

What the Heck Is Restorative Justice?

Analyzing Student-Level Disciplinary Data: A Guide for Districts

National Institute of Mental Health

Council for Exceptional Children

TEA: Discipline and School Removals

Association for Positive Behavior Support

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports