In "Rethinking Chronic Absenteeism," Sarah Winchell Lenhoff and Jeremy Singer reframe chronic absenteeism as a symptom of a complex set of factors affecting the student, family, and community rather than simply an accountability metric for educators, schools, or districts. Lenhoff and Singer identify chronic absenteeism--often defined as…

Decades of research has documented the negative effects of physical punishment, including spanking (Heilmann et al., 2021). Since 1998, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has endorsed the use of time out from positive reinforcement (TO) as an alternative to corporal punishment (Sege et al., 2018). Despite urging at the federal level…

In "Responsive Circles," author JR Entsminger equips educators with practical strategies to address conflict and improve student behavior through restorative practices. The book emphasizes using responsive circles to repair harm, foster empathy, and address student conflict while reducing reliance on traditional punishment. It also…

This data point highlights state policy permitting or prohibiting the use of corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is permitted in at least 18 states, is prohibited in at least 27 states and the District of Columbia, and at least five states did not specify their policy in statute or regulation. Of the minimum 18 states where it is permitted,…

This exploratory mixed method research aimed to develop parent and child forms of a scale to measure parents' practices to reward and punish their children. For the qualitative strand, semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents (n = 54) and their children (n = 39). The qualitative analysis revealed four major themes regarding parental…

While most research on restraint and seclusion use in K-12 schools focuses on the procedures with students with disabilities, the authors investigate its application to English learners and offer proactive steps for teachers.

In recent decades, racial disparities in K-12 disciplinary outcomes in the United States have garnered considerable attention. Empirical studies have established that schools' discipline policies and practices play an important role; however, the lack of an integrated theoretical framework inhibits the discourse on bias and discrimination as a…

At least 37 states and the District of Columbia outline alternatives to suspension/expulsion or non-punitive supports that are either available or encouraged. Commonly cited approaches include community service, conflict resolution, counseling, peer mediation, positive behavioral interventions, restitution and restorative justice. This data point…

Restorative Justice (RJ) is an educational "innovation" introduced into school communities as a counter approach to traditional punitive discipline practices. In this paper, we provide a critical examination of RJ in education by naming common pitfalls to RJ implementation in schools and providing four transformational cultural shifts…

To support all students, including students with disabilities, many schools have adopted a positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) framework. Although rigorous research documents the beneficial effects of Tier 1 PBIS for all students and emerging research extends these findings to students with disabilities, there has not been a…

In the age of litigation, teachers have a responsibility to protect students in their care from injury, to act as a reasonably prudent teacher would act to prevent loss or damage to their students, and to exercise sound judgement and authority over students, to correct misbehavior and to provide for their orderly instruction. Whenever a teacher is…

Richard O. Welsh takes on the school discipline crisis in "Suspended Futures," delineating the persistent racial disparities in how educators perceive and respond to the behavior of students. Welsh offers a framework for disrupting and dismantling a disciplinary system that disproportionately disadvantages students of Black, Latinx, and…

The construct of "convivencia escolar" (CE) has multiple meanings, some reduce it to school life without conflict and a punitive management of indiscipline. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to describe, understand and compare the meanings of CE and the procedures involved in school norms used to regulate students' behaviours…

In this reflective essay, I examine the impact of corporal punishment in Ghanaian schools by drawing on my experiences as both a victim and a former perpetrator of these practices. Through reflecting on the punitive discipline I endured and later enforced, I highlight the detrimental effects on students' well-being, self-worth, and engagement in…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Imagining Joyful, Nonviolent, Integrated Schools." Contents include: (1) The…