Smart Discipline

Overview

This volume addresses the pervasive use of exclusionary discipline practices in U.S. schools, particularly their disproportionate application to Black and Latine students. It highlights the consequences of these practices on student outcomes, including reducing essential instructional time, deepening racial disparities, and reinforcing systemic inequities. The book emphasizes alternative approaches, such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Restorative Practices (RP), and Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL), all of which aim to address student misconduct through preventive and supportive measures.

Key Findings

• Exclusionary discipline disproportionately impacts Black students, who are suspended at rates three times higher than their White peers.

• Punitive measures are largely ineffective in addressing the root causes of misbehavior and often exacerbate educational and social disparities.

• Schools that implement restorative practices and culturally responsive strategies report improvements in school climate and reductions in disciplinary incidents.

Implications for Policy and Practice

• The research shows that schools that transition from punitive to supportive discipline models, emphasizing empathy, skill-building, and relationship-building reduce their rates of exclusionary discipline and disparities in their application of discipline.

• State and district-level bans on exclusionary discipline for younger students, coupled with the adoption of alternative practices, appear to be associated with reductions in the use of exclusion at the state level. Federal policy guidance seems to have had an impact on the student discipline used by states and local school districts.

• Schools can reduce and/or eliminate racial disparities in discipline by implementing systematic reforms and equity-driven interventions.