What are the positives and negatives of zero tolerance? What should be considered when examining a school's program? Although there are no definitive definitions of zero tolerance, two commonly used ones are as follows: "Zero tolerance means that a school will automatically and severely punish a student for a variety of infractions" (American Bar Association, 2001); and The U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement defined zero tolerance as: "A policy that mandates predetermined consequences or punishments for specific offenses" (Burk). There are different points-of-view about the value of and impact of zero-tolerance policies. This paper summarizes the most significant findings. (Contains 9 online resources.)