Fix School Discipline Toolkit for Educators | Page 83

surveys of pupils, parents, and teachers on the
sense of safety and school connectedness.” Districts
doing it right are including multiple measures, like
instructional days lost to suspensions, number of
students suspended, and number of willful defiance
suspensions. They are looking into office discipline
referrals and tracking alternatives to suspension to
make sure struggling students get help early and
often. Others are using the California Healthy Kids
and School Climate Survey to track connectedness
and safety perceptions. Still others are considering
recommendations from the community to stop the
school-to-prison pipeline and track referrals to law
enforcements and student arrest rates.
Aggressive, clear and measureable goals for key
subgroups that reduce out of class and out of
school discipline!
At a minimum, every District must include
measurable goals for reducing suspension and
expulsion disaggregated by subgroups and
increasing “other local measures.” But the Districts
who are making a real commitment are setting
aggressive goals, 20-30% or more reductions per
year each year, reducing involuntary transfers,
supporting teachers in keeping students in class,
and setting more aggressive goal where they find
disproportionate discipline.
Real people power, funding, and professional
development and specific research-based
solutions to tackle the issues identified.
At a minimum, every District must include a
description of the specific actions and expenditures
it will take to meet the goals identified. Districts
prioritizing a strong school climate as a fundamental
building block of learning are investing real dollars
in restorative justice, SWPBIS, and Social Emotional
Learning curriculum to incorporate positive behavior
in a way that students love. They are training staff
on trauma and its impacts, and adding more mental
health counselors to address the needs of struggling
students. Where Districts are recognizing that there
is significant disproportionality in discipline for
students of color or other groups, they are weaving
professional development on the impact of bias and
racism and the importance of culturally relevant
practices into training for all staff!

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