National Equity Landscape of State Exclusionary Discipline Policies Across Pre-K–12 Contexts
There is no evidence that exclusionary discipline — removing children from learning settings as a form of discipline — is associated with beneficial positive short or long-term outcomes. Yet, exclusionary discipline is still widespread, starts early in children's educational trajectories, and is disproportionately applied to Black and Indigenous children, boys, and children with disabilities, with children who hold multiple of these identities being impacted the most. State and local discipline policies drive many decisions about exclusionary discipline in schools. These policies have the potential to exacerbate inequities or promote equity in discipline. Despite the large quantity of state discipline policies, little is known about the quality of these policies across the nation.
The CEP's new report provides an in depth look at state discipline policies in Pre-K-12th grade systems. We identify patterns and trends over time across 4 key categories 1) Student behavior incidents, 2) Grade limits on exclusion, 3) Limits on the length of exclusion, 4) Alternatives to harsh discipline. We also take a look at the last 5 years of policy trends between 2018 and 2023.
Suggested Citation:
Alexander, B. L., Meek, S., Janssen, J., Cardona, M. R., Allen, R., Powell, T., Blevins, D., Catherin, E. (July, 2023). National Equity Landscape of State Exclusionary Discipline Policies Across Pre-K–12 Contexts. The Children’s Equity Project at Arizona State University. Retrieved from: https://cep.asu.edu/resources/state-exclusionary-discipline-policy