Decades of empirical research has demonstrated that exclusionary discipline is a racialized mechanism through which schools systematically remove Black and brown children from the learning environment. Although development of Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and linked behavior support plans has been identified as a solution to exclusionary…

School leaders face difficult situations regarding special education discipline that may ultimately lead to costly litigation. This quantitative study design explored secondary school leaders' knowledge of special education discipline law in the five IDEA provision areas of functional behavioral assessment, behavior intervention plan,…

School leaders face difficult situations regarding special education discipline that may ultimately lead to costly litigation. This quantitative study design explored secondary school leaders' knowledge of special education discipline law in the five IDEA provision areas of functional behavioral assessment, behavior intervention plan,…

Disproportionality in discipline has been well-documented in the research literature (Achilles, McLaughlin, & Croninger, 2007; Losen & Gillespie, 2012; Gregory, Skiba, & Mediratta, 2017; Skiba, Peterson, & Williams, 1997). Students from diverse ethnic backgrounds and students with disabilities are removed from their classrooms more…

Students who are removed from the regular school setting receive referrals to disciplinary alternative education programs (DAEPs), which focus on behavior management. Because students enroll for less than 30 days, it is important to quickly determine students' level of motivation to change, as doing so allows for immediate connection to…

Every day administrators and teachers issue increasing numbers of disciplinary referrals that document problematic behaviors in the classroom. When placed in in-school suspension (ISS) because of disciplinary reasons students lose valuable academic instruction time and their academic achievement is negatively impacted. ISS produces little, if any,…

Research on freshman transition programs suggests the need for a transition program that assists students as they enter high school. Many freshman transition programs consist of a visit from the high school counselors or a tour of the school. These programs do not help meet the needs of many students who will need constant support throughout the…

In New York City, middle school educators experience student behaviors that adversely affect the school environment and academic achievement. These middle school teachers indicate that the current traditional measures used to address these issues are ineffective. As a result, there is now an appeal from these middle school teachers to institute…