RETHINK DISCIPLINE #RETHINKDISCIPLINE WHITE HOUSE CONVENING 2015 KIM STEVENSON, DISTRICT DISCIPLINE ADMINISTRATOR HEATHER LANCASTER, COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR MANCELL ELAM, ASST. PRINCIPAL CCMS

Addressing the Root causes of disparities in school discipline EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DISCRIMINATORY DISCIPLINE PRACTICES IN OUR NATION’S SCHOOLS DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT STUDENTS OF COLORS; STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND COGNITIVE DISABILITIES; AND YOUTH WHO IDENTIFY AS LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER. LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ARE REMOVED FROM CLASS, LOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN, AND ARE SUSPENDED OR EXPELLED FROM SCHOOL BECAUSE OF EXCLUSIONARY DISCIPLINARY PRACTICES. THE IMPACT ON STUDENTS, FAMILIES, SCHOOLS, AND THE COMMUNITY IS SERIOUS AND THE COST IS HIGH. STUDENTS BECOME ALIENATED FROM SCHOOL AND THEIR TEACHERS, AND THEY ARE PLACED AT RISK OF EDUCATIONAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS. OFTEN THESE YOUTH ALSO HAVE DISPROPORTIONATE RATES OF CONTACT WITH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY WHEN ARRESTED AT SCHOOL AND REFERRED TO THE COURT FROM SCHOOL. THE INITIAL CONTACT CAN LEAD TO DEEPER INVOLVEMENT IN THE JUVENILE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS AND REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THESE YOUTH WILL RETURN TO SCHOOL AND GRADUATE.

Deepening your understanding by examining more than numbers Examples of root causes that may not be immediately apparent include the impact of educator and administrator stress, a lack of support for educator understanding of student behavior, educator’s need for skill building to prevent and address troubling behaviors that evoke punitive responses, explicit bias and implicit bias, or the lack of staff skills in using positive approaches and de- escalation techniques.

School Climate  Schools that foster supportive conditions for learning and positive school climates can help to engage students in learning by preventing problem behaviors and intervening effectively to support struggling students and those at risk of academic and behavior problems  Be consistent with discipline policies  Schools that build staff capacity and continuously evaluate and then improve a school’s discipline policies and practices are more likely to ensure fairness and equity and promote achievement for all students.

Tackle the touch conversations Discussions about the disproportionate impact of discipline policies touch on sensitive racial, ethnic and cultural issues as well as attitudes about to address troubling behavior. For meaningful change to occur, these conversations need to take place.

Trauma Impacting student learning CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE DECLINES DUE TO… INABILITY TO CONCENTRATE FLASHBACKS AND PREOCCUPATION WITH THE TRAUMA AVOIDANCE OF SCHOOL AND OTHER PLACES OTHER BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS DEVELOP THAT CAN IMPEDE LEARNING AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS… SUBSTANCE ABUSE AGGRESSION DEPRESSION

Effects of Violence and trauma TELLING THE STORY OF THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP Decreased IQ and reading ability Decreased rates of high school graduation More suspensions and expulsions Lower grade point average Attendance issues

Core concepts of developing trauma informed schools Early Detection & Intervention Exposure to violence and trauma are detected early with early intervention Appropriate Mental Health Services Student can learn more skills to cope more effectively with the distress that interferes with learning Trained Teachers, Staff & Parents Teachers and parents learn how they can support fearful and anxious students in the classroom and at home

Code of Acceptable Behavior  OTHER DISTRICTS COMPARED TO CHRISTIAN COUNTY  INTERVENTIONS TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR

(Teachers) Determine what you think the most likely reason is for the student’s behavior problem. Relationship Be Intentional Respect Fairness Code of Acceptable Behavior Cont'd Interventions to Change Behavior

Code of Acceptable Behavior SUSPENSIONS (3 MILLION PER YEAR) ARREST( ARREST HAS TAKEN PLACE OF SCHOOL DISCIPLINE) ZERO TOLERANCE( ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED AS AN APPROACH TO DRUG ENFORCEMENT) IN TEXAS, A STUDENT GOT A MISDEMEANOR TICKET FOR WEARING TOO MUCH PERFUME. IN WISCONSIN, A TEEN WAS CHARGED WITH THEFT AFTER SHARING THE CHICKEN NUGGETS FROM A CLASSMATE’S MEAL— THE CLASSMATE WAS ON LUNCH ASSISTANCE AND SHARING IT MEANT THE TEEN HAD VIOLATED THE LAW, AUTHORITIES SAID. IN FLORIDA, A STUDENT CONDUCTED A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT BEFORE THE AUTHORIZATION OF HER TEACHER; WHEN IT WENT WRONG SHE RECEIVED A FELONY WEAPONS CHARGE.