From Rigid To Responsive: Better Approaches to School Discipline COSEBOC Webinar Series December 5, 2012 Jason Sinocruz Advancement Project

From Rigid To Responsive:Better Approaches to School Discipline

COSEBOC Webinar SeriesDecember 5, 2012

Jason SinocruzAdvancement

Project

AGENDA1. What is Advancement Project?2. Background Information on Zero

Tolerance and the School-to-Prison Pipeline

3. Advancement Project’s Local Work4. National Attention on School

Discipline Reform5. What Can You Do?

WHAT IS ADVANCEMENT PROJECT?

Racial justice civil rights organization based in Washington, D.C.

Ending the Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Track Project

Work with grassroots groups to end the school-to-prison pipeline in their communities.

Aim to change the national conversation on STPP.

Provide resources and best practices on school discipline.

Active in more than a dozen sites, including (but not limited to) New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Colorado.





1980s: “Zero Tolerance”

drug policies

ORIGINS OF “ZERO TOLERANCE”

1990s: Columbine tragedy –

“zero tolerance”

RE-CHARACTERIZATION OF STUDENT BEHAVIOR

“Battery”Pushing & shoving

Swiping headphones

Talking back

“Theft” or “robbery”

“Disorderly conduct”

BILLION$ OF WA$TED DOLLAR$

DEFINITION:

The policies and practices that are

directly and indirectly pushing students out

of school and on a pathway to prison.

9

WHO ARE WE ARRESTING?

13





A MOVEMENT EMERGES…

– Parent and student resistance– District reform– State legislative reform– Federal attention

In response, there is now a national movement around the elimination of these harsh policies and practices.

CHICAGO PARTNER:VOICES OF YOUTH INCHICAGO EDUCATION

(VOYCE)In the last year:1. Brought attention to overly punitive

disciplinary fines imposed by prominent charter network.

2. Edited discipline code with following key provisions:1. Reduced number of days students could

be suspended for certain minor acts.2. Eliminated automatic 10 day suspension

for worst offenses.

PHILADELPHIAPARTNER:YOUTH UNITED FOR

CHANGE (YUC)

In the last few years:1. Published report on zero tolerance

problem within local schools.2. Revised discipline code with following

provisions:1. No more out-of-school suspensions for

unreasonable behaviors (e.g. dress code violations).

2. Added protections for gender expression.

DENVERPARTNER:PADRES Y JOVENES

UNIDOS

In the past five years:1. Rewrote the discipline code.2. Implemented restorative justice program.3. Passed statewide law on “Smarter School

Discipline.”4. In the process of:

1. Rewriting the memorandum of understanding between police and district.

2. Aligning the new discipline code with new state law.

DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

2007-08 School Year

10,161Out-of-School Suspensions

2011-12 School Year

6,076Out-of-School Suspensions

DOWN

40%

BALTIMORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Suspensions

New Discipline Code

DOWN

63%

STATE OF FLORIDAReferrals

DOWN

12,000

Between 2004-05

and 2010-11





NATIONAL ATTENTION ON SCHOOL DISCIPLINE REFORM

IN 2012 Advancement Project Regional Action

Camps School-Justice Partnership Summit Department of Justice lawsuit in

Meridian, Mississippi Dignity in Schools Campaign – call for

moratorium on out-of-school suspensions

Ed Week series on school discipline Senate Subcommittee Hearing on

School-to-Prison Pipeline by Senator Durbin (D-IL)





WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Learn more about the School-to-Prison pipeline.

Visit the Digital Library at http://www.advancementproject.org

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Look to the Advancement Project Action Kit for models of good discipline policy and examples of how to collect good data.

See http://www.stopschoolstojails.org for more information

• Collect and report disaggregated and thorough school discipline data.

• Use the data to track successes, areas for improvement, and develop alternative practices.

27

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection:

Visit http://ocrdata.ed.gov/ to look up information on your area

• Create or revise the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between your schools and local law enforcement agencies.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Seek changes to applicable local, county, and state laws and policies

• Reduce/end overuse of suspensions, expulsions, and arrests in schools

25 CLASSROOM & IN-SCHOOL ALTERNATIVES TO SUSPENSIONS,

EXPULSIONS, AND ARRESTS • Reminder and/or re-direction • Re-teaching of expectations

and skills • Student/teacher conference • Loss of privileges • Role-play • Written apology • Mini-course/training on

topics such as conflict resolution, anger management, social skills, or appropriate behavior

• Time-out/chill-out period • Reflective essay or other

reflective activity • Independent study • Parental outreach • Student/teacher/parent

conference • Detention • Referral to after-school

program

• Saturday School • Restorative practices, such

as peace circles • Referral to support staff,

such as guidance counselor, social worker, or nurse

• Self-charting of behaviors • Daily report card on

behavior, task completion, and achievement

• Referral to an in-school suspension center or support center

• Restitution • Community service • Mentoring • Modified/adjusted schedule,

including changes to the student’s overall schedule or course content

• Referral to community-based services

• Leverage budgetary authority• Divert funding used for law

enforcement personnel and security infrastructure to:

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

–Prevention and intervention measures such as restorative justice.–Social workers,

school psychologists, and guidance counselors.

• Listen to and prioritize input from community members, parents, and especially youth.

• Create regular and productive opportunities for administrators, parents, and students to engage in meaningful dialogue about school discipline.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?





FOR MORE INFORMATION . . .

• Go to:

www.advancementproject.org

www.stopschoolstojails.org

• Contact info:Jason Sinocruz, Staff [email protected]

g

Documents

From Rigid To Responsive: Better Approaches to School Discipline COSEBOC Webinar Series December 5, 2012 Jason Sinocruz Advancement Project