Leading for Equity Student Discipline Photo of children Student Discipline

Outcomes As a result of the session, participants will be able to… Identify next steps to ensure that equity is the driving factor in your school’s discipline work. Identify alternative practices that reconnect students to learning. Articulate the steps used by Montgomery County Public Schools to reduce the suspension gap.

“Public schools were designed as the great equalizers of our “Public schools were designed as the great equalizers of our society—the place where all children could have access to educational opportunities to make something of themselves in adulthood.” - Janet Napolitano

“We simply must do better. And we CAN do better “We simply must do better. And we CAN do better. But we must accept that the strategies we have used up to this point—while effective—will not get us to the top of the mountain.” “...despite our best efforts we have not been able to reach some children, and many of them are students of color, students with special needs, students who are learning English, or students who are poor.” “We must think differently about our efforts to narrow the opportunity and achievement gaps for our system, while preparing our students to thrive in the future.” Equality

“Therefore, we will hold high expectations for all students and staff; distribute resources as necessary to provide extra supports and interventions so all students can achieve; identify and eliminate any institutional barriers to students’ success; and ensure that equitable practices are used in all classrooms and workplaces” “MCPS is committed to educating our students so that academic success is not predictable by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, language proficiency, or disability. We will continue to strive until the achievement gap has been eliminated for all groups.” Equity

In order to ensure equitable learning opportunities for every child in every classroom, we must avoid disproportionately disciplining students of color, and always use discipline to reconnect students to the benefits of learning. Pedro Noguera asks educators to analyze whether current disciplinary practices are excluding or humiliating students, rather than reconnecting students to learning opportunities.  

From May 2011 OSA research brief, "Grade 9 Indicators Influencing High School Graduation and College Readiness in MCPS High Schools":   A student suspension during grade 9 results in a 29% decrease in that student's odds of graduating on time.

Three-Pronged Approach to Suspension Reduction and Student Discipline Work Line up Transparent Data for Benchmarking Coaching Conversations Equity Focus with Professional Learning

Total # Suspension Groups 2012- 2013 2263 1175 611 474 2013- 2014 1432   Total # Suspension Groups African American Latino Special Education 2012- 2013 2263 1175 611 474 2013- 2014 1432 769 367 348 Difference -831 -406 -244 -126

Rate of Suspensions per 100 Students   Rate of Suspensions per 100 Students Asian Am African Am White Hispanic Special Education 2012 1.3 12.1 2.4 5.8 12.3 2014 0.8 7.6 3.2 6.9

Northwood High School Referral Data 2013-2014 Number of Referrals Semester 1- 481 Semester 2-227 758 (684) Male 573 Female 184 Hispanic 356 White 66 African American 321 Asian 13 9th grade (includes repeaters) 384 10th grade (includes repeaters) 218 11th grade (includes repeaters) 69 12th grade 87 Common Infractions Abusive Language 83 Defiance 200 Fighting 33 Skipping class/ Truancy 157 Disruption 129 Admin Action Conference with the student 665 Detention 173 Parent Contact 215 Suspensions (referral) 16

Northwood High School Referral Data 2013-2014 Semester 2 Number of Referrals Semester 1- 481 Semester 2-227 Overall 758 (684) Male 203 Female 74 Hispanic 127 White 18 African American 123 Asian 8 9th grade (includes repeaters) 158 10th grade (includes repeaters) 75 11th grade (includes repeaters) 24 12th grade 20 Common Infractions Abusive Language 34 Defiance 76 Fighting 10 Skipping class/ Truancy 70 Disruption 49 Other 20

Guiding Principles Climate and Prevention: Fostering a positive environment will help engage ALL students in learning by preventing misbehavior and intervening effectively with struggling, at-risk students. Clear, appropriate, consistent expectations/consequences: Establishing and communicating clear and appropriate expectations for student performance and student behavior Equity and continuous improvement: Building staff’s capacity to be reflective learners to ensure that fairness and equity will promote achievement for ALL students.

Climate and Prevention Celebrating positive behavior & achievement Wellness Center Outreach programs Pre-EMT for early interventions Regular meetings with ALT 1 students QTIP (Quit Taking it Personally) – Staff training on de-escalation strategies learned from ED, starting first with security and eventually being rolled out to the remainder of staff.

Student/Teacher Relationships: Building Positive Classroom Environments Professional Support Staff: March 19, 2013 Q-TIP Quit Taking It Personally (Q-TIP) is a tool to help reduce the adrenaline rush that often causes poor decision-making when people find themselves in stressful situations. Uses: Classrooms Bedrooms Boardrooms Squad rooms Conference rooms Court rooms

Expectations & Consequences: Clear, Appropriate, & Consistent School focus supports instructional focus of student engagement Promoting community through Restorative Practices Dean of Students first point of contact Removal from classroom as a last resort

Equity & Continuous Improvement Weekly Data Review in ILT meetings Semester summaries Special team study of restorative practices Continuous feedback loop (surveys and focus groups)

Anticipated Results Improving students’ sense of self-efficacy by empowering them to be self-advocates and contributing members of the school community. Developing students’ social emotional learning by building self-awareness and self-management skills that will enable students to achieve in school and life. Developing and improving critical thinking by engaging students in solutions to real-life problems. Offering and supporting Youth-Adult Partnerships that engender mutual respect as both work toward common goals. Leading by recognizing the student voice and the power in including students in both the decision-making and problem-solving.

Code of Conduct in 2014-2015: Matrix Approach with Expectation of Progressive Responses. Flexibility with Range and Choices. An Expanded “Basket” of Potential Consequences.

What are you doing in your school or what will you do to create a culture where disciplinary practices reconnect students to learning?  

As leaders for equity, our job is to lead the conversation, address the beliefs, and examine our practice, so we can provide every child with the education they deserve. Kids