An equitable approach to student discipline

On Board Online • April 24, 2023

Betty A. Rosa
Commissioner of Education

"Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment."
- Mahatma Gandhi

The Board of Regents and I have placed the issue of student discipline at the very forefront of our work this year. We are focused intently on addressing the harmful impact of exclusionary discipline on students. In particular, we seek to remedy the biased and inequitable way that discipline is too-often imposed upon certain groups of students.

In this column, I explain why the Board of Regents and the Education Department are so committed to addressing the issues surrounding student discipline. Our goal is to share best practices and, ultimately, to help you and your districts build the structures, practices and policies that will better support all students - and keep them in school where they belong.

Exclusionary discipline is any type of disciplinary action that involves removal or excludes a student from their regular instruction. This definition includes classroom removals and both short- and long-term suspensions, and it applies whether the suspensions are served in-school or out-of-school.

Historically, schools have relied on exclusionary discipline to address Code of Conduct violations and challenging student behaviors. These policies are based on a well-intentioned desire to maintain safety and order in our schools. We now know, however, that such policies often work counter to our shared mission of educating all children.

The research is extensive, and it is clear: exclusionary discipline has long-term, cumulative, negative effects on students - especially on students of color and students with disabilities - and it does nothing to address the underlying issues and root causes that often account for bad behavior. Specifically, the research tells us that exclusionary discipline leads to lower academic achievement, course completion, and attendance; an increased likelihood of dropout; a reduced likelihood of postsecondary enrollment; an increased likelihood of involvement in the juvenile justice system; and an increased likelihood of future behavioral incidents. In short, in virtually every metric that matters, exclusionary discipline harms the very students who need our help and intervention the most.

Citations to these findings and the studies from which they are derived can be found in the December 2022 Safe Schools Task Force Report: Recommendations for Reducing Disparities in and Reforming School Discipline in New York State, which is available at bit.ly/3X0mrXa .

The task force recommendations were presented to the Board of Regents at their meeting in January. And at the Board's February meeting, superintendents from around the state explained the steps their districts are taking to move away from punitive disciplinary policies - and towards systems that utilize restorative practices, tap into local mental health resources, emphasize social emotional learning, and employ systems of therapeutic crisis intervention. You can view the superintendents' presentations at bit.ly/43j8XcB .

Right now, too many students are suffering greatly. Some are depressed and lonely in the ongoing fallout from COVID-19; some are reeling from their continued exposure to horrifying examples of violence and injustice based on race, religion and sexual orientation; some are hurt by cruel cyberbullying; and others are haunted by the seemingly endless onslaught of swatting hoaxes and actual school shootings. It is simply too much for many students to absorb - it is natural that some will act out in response. They need our help and support to lift them up, not our punishments to keep them down.

Punitive and exclusionary discipline rarely helps students understand how their inappropriate behaviors can have real world consequences. Learning and success are not solely academic in nature; they are dependent upon the social-emotional support that school districts are required to provide. All students must have equitable access to interventions that will support their holistic academic and social-emotional development as learners and developing, contributing members of society. Rather than immediately turning to punishment, districts should instead consider how they can help students learn to assume and accept responsibility for their behavior while simultaneously establishing remedial supports to foster, and thus augment, their emotional intelligence.

Punishment for its own sake does not reform; it merely creates cycles of resentment and distrust. It is well past time for New York to break those negative cycles. It is possible for schools to be warm and welcoming and, at the very same time, safe and orderly. The Board of Regents and the State Education Department are committed to working with you to make that the reality in every one of our schools.