Inequitable Compliance: Implementation Failure of a Statewide Student Discipline Reform

Anderson, Kaitlin P.

doi:10.1080/0161956x.2018.1435052

Cited by 23 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…In education, there is great urgency in such calls, with persistent and even growing racial disparities in the use of suspension, even as overall suspension rates have declined. Furthermore, some studies have documented racial disparities in access to school discipline reforms, finding that schools with a higher proportion of students of color are less likely to implement policies intended to decrease suspension or promote RJ (Anderson, 2018;Payne & Welch, 2018). This research underscores why it is necessary for district leaders and education policymakers to pursue structural change alongside the vital interpersonal work underway in schools.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Fostering community, sharing power: Lessons for building restorative justice school cultures

Sandwick

Hahn

Ayoub³

2019

EPAA

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Increasingly, education policymakers are touting restorative justice as a way to interrupt the “school-to-prison pipeline,” which disproportionately impacts students by race, sexuality, and disability. A small but growing research literature suggests that restorative justice decreases suspension and behavioral incidents, while improving school climate—particularly when embraced as a schoolwide ethos, rather than a targeted disciplinary strategy. Restorative justice represents a marked departure from long-standing punitive approaches to discipline, however, and school communities are eager for support in navigating this culture shift. To this end, this article presents findings from case studies of five diverse NYC schools using restorative justice approaches. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews and focus groups with educators, students, parents, and school safety agents, our findings provide insight into key practices and resources, stakeholder perceptions, and challenges of and practical strategies for building holistic, schoolwide restorative justice. We present a series of “lessons” to inform restorative justice practice and policy, underscoring the importance of community-building, deliberate resources and infrastructure, interrogating localized and systemic power dynamics, and elevating student leadership.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Fostering community, sharing power: Lessons for building restorative justice school cultures

Sandwick

Hahn

Ayoub³

2019

EPAA

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“…Furthermore, decisions to use exclusionary discipline practices are based on office discipline referrals, which, as researchers (e.g., Smolkowski, Girvan, McIntosh, Nese., & Horner, 2016) point out, are disproportionately biased against racial minorities. The realization that exclusionary discipline practices were ineffective, coupled with implicit racial bias in excluding students, led state legislatures across the United States to pass extensive statewide discipline reforms in the second decade of the 21 st Century (Anderson, 2018;Fergus, 2018;Ispa-Landa, 2018;Moreno & Scaletta, 2018;Ritter, 2018;Steineberg & Lacoe, 2017). The intended focus of the reforms was to adopt and implement alternative discipline practices that would positively impact students (Anderson, 2018, p. 258).…”

Section: Advocatedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is hoped that the results from this survey will help school districts and schools in their allocation of resources to effectively implement the policy. The provisions of the policy are crucial for its implementation, but as Anderson (2018) reported, schools do not always comply with policies, even when mandated by a state. Therefore, the extent to which those provisions are being adopted uniformly by all the school and districts, and understood by both administrators and non-administrators, is an issue that this study sought to examine.…”

Section: Advocatedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the extent to which those provisions are being adopted uniformly by all the school and districts, and understood by both administrators and non-administrators, is an issue that this study sought to examine. As Anderson (2018) reported, three factors appeared to have contributed to a lack of a positive impact of the State of Arkansas's policy limiting the use of out-of-school suspensions for truancy, namely, Insufficient communication to schools regarding the reasons for the change, and indication of how schools will be held accountable, and suggested alternatives to using out-of-school suspensions, A lack of accountability for adherence to the policy, and A lack of capacity or resources for schools to comply. (p. 258)…”

Section: Advocatedmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Survey of School Discipline Gatekeepers about the Implementation of the Non-Exclusionary Discipline Practices Reform in Illinois Schools

Gahungu

2020

IJonSE

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Two years after the State of Illinois enacted an extensive non-exclusionary discipline reform in schools, 322 key discipline gatekeepers in schools were surveyed about the extent and impact of its implementation. The results showed that a number of core provisions of the reform had not been fully implemented or addressed through professional development. Creating re-entry plans for students with long suspensions, eliminating zero tolerance policies, and limiting disciplinary transfers to alternative schools were the least implemented provisions. Furthermore, contrary to principals’ wishful and embellished self-reporting, large proportions of school personnel still had not received required professional development in key topics such as adverse consequences of school exclusion and justice-system involvement, culturally responsive discipline, and developmentally appropriate disciplinary methods that promote positive and healthy school climate. Finally, sharp differences were found between principals and teachers and support personnel about the continuing prevalence and high frequency of discipline incidents, and about improvement in the overall school climate. If the reform is going to be impactful, it was recommended that more emphasis be placed on ensuring that teachers and support personnel receive adequate and timely professional development on the provisions of the policies.

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“…Identifying and supporting schools that need additional training or supports has been linked to greater reductions in suspensions (Hashim et al, 2018). Reform implementation likely matters, as relatively disadvantaged schools (Anderson, 2018; Steinberg & Lacoe, 2018) and schools that previously suspended at high rates (Anderson, 2018) may be less likely to comply. Next, I discuss some of the relevant studies in more detail.…”

Section: Introduction and Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Academic, Attendance, and Behavioral Outcomes of a Suspension Reduction Policy: Lessons for School Leaders and Policy Makers

Anderson

2019

Educational Administration Quarterly

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Background: Exclusionary discipline (e.g. suspension and expulsion) is associated with lower student achievement, drop-out, and involvement in the juvenile justice system. Recently, states and school districts have begun to restrict exclusionary discipline, but there remains much to be learned about the potential impact on students. Research Design: I use a comparative interrupted time series to estimate whether a state policy prohibiting out-of-school suspension as a consequence for truancy affected student achievement, attendance, truancy, or disciplinary referrals. Findings: After testing a variety of specifications checks, I find evidence of slight increases in attendance, particularly for disadvantaged students, with suggestive evidence of improvements in test scores and reductions in disciplinary referrals for some students. Conclusions: These improvements were quite modest relative to what we might expect from an intuitively appealing policy and were likely influenced by incomplete compliance, particularly in areas serving more students from traditionally disadvantaged backgrounds. Implications for policy design and school leadership are discussed.

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Inequitable Compliance: Implementation Failure of a Statewide Student Discipline Reform

Cited by 23 publications

References 27 publications

Fostering community, sharing power: Lessons for building restorative justice school cultures

Fostering community, sharing power: Lessons for building restorative justice school cultures

A Survey of School Discipline Gatekeepers about the Implementation of the Non-Exclusionary Discipline Practices Reform in Illinois Schools

Academic, Attendance, and Behavioral Outcomes of a Suspension Reduction Policy: Lessons for School Leaders and Policy Makers

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