Improving School Discipline to Promote Success for Students with Disabilities Presented by Kevin Caudill Easterseals Central Texas

Overview - Defining the Problem - Policies - Impact - Recommendations - Advocacy

2017 Total U.S. Public School Enrollment: Source: U.S. GAO

Discipline in Texas & the United States Goals and Outcomes: First priority: keep students and educators safe. Maintain an environment conducive to learning. Help students achieve positive behavior outcomes.

Defining the Problem From US GAO National Report: -Schools disproportionately suspend young students who are boys, black, in special education or in foster care. - Children with disabilities accounted for 28% of referrals to law enforcement or school-related arrests, 26% of out-of-school suspensions and 24% of expulsions. - Children served under IDEA represented 71% of those restrained and 66% of kids subject to seclusion.

Defining the Problem

Defining the Problem

Example Austin Independent School District 2015 Students with Disabilities (IDEA): 10.1% Students with Disabilities (Section 504 Only): 6.8% https://ocrdata.ed.gov/DistrictSchoolSearch#districtSearch

Austin Independent School District 2015

Austin Independent School District 2015

Pre-K through 2nd Suspensions Using disciplinary data that school districts report to the Texas Education Agency each year, Texans Care for Children said that in the 2015-16 school year, Texas school districts issued more than 101,000 suspensions against students in pre-K through second grade, and two-thirds of them were in-school suspensions.

Pre-K - 2nd Suspensions In Texas Pre-K through 2nd grade, students in special education are 2x more likely to receive in-school and out-of-school suspensions than the overall pre-k through 2nd grade student population.

School to Prison Pipeline Why is it important? School to Prison Pipeline The “school-to-prison pipeline” is a term used to describe what happens when students are pushed out of school through suspensions, alternative school placements, expulsions, and contact with school police and courts.

What we don’t know: - No seclusion data - Resource Officer - student interactions - Early pickups - Childcare or pre-school data - Other types of informal discipline

Discipline in Texas & the United States Texas has made several positive changes to its school discipline practices in recent years, such as the decriminalization of truancy and the reduction of school ticketing, and the end of zero-tolerance policies.

Policies and Practices Legislative Session: 84(R) Senate Bill 107 Senate Author:  Whitmire et al. Effective:  6-20-15 House Sponsor:  Thompson, Senfronia. -“Zero Tolerance Repeal” -Designates Campus Behavior Coordinator requires the designation of a campus behavior coordinator at each public school campus who is responsible for maintaining student discipline and addressing issues relating to removing a student from class. The campus behavior coordinator's responsibilities include notifying a student's parent or guardian if certain disciplinary measures are taken against the student and considering certain factors (INCLUDING DISABILITY) before ordering certain measures. requires a school district board of trustees to consider the same factors before ordering the expulsion of a student.

Policies and Practices Legislative Session: 84(R) House Bill 2885 House Author: Giddings, Walle. Did not pass. -Documentation of certain types of discipline required a school district superintendent to electronically submit data to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) on items such as: - restraints -complaints in criminal court -citations -arrests

Policies and Practices Legislative Session: 84(R) Senate Bill 1584 Senate Author: Lucio, Menendez. Did not pass, died in committee. -PBIS -Bans aversives provides guidance and training for developing and implementing PBIS plans, to be used by teachers, districts, and others statutorily involved in the education of special needs students. maintains the flexibility to tailor individualized behavior plans to each unique child. It also clarifies the rare circumstances when a school may use negative disciplinary measures (i.e., restraint or time-out), and requires that the use of such punishments be recorded as part of a student's behavior assessments. Most importantly, S.B. 1584 adds PBIS training to required educational staff development sessions to ensure that all educators and related personnel are properly equipped to implement these behavior plans.

PBIS Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports:(PBIS) A proactive approach to establishing the behavioral supports & social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional and academic success. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining primary (school-wide), secondary (classroom), and tertiary (individual) systems of support that improve lifestyle results (personal, health, social, family, work, recreation) for all youth by making targeted misbehavior less effective, efficient, and relevant, and desired behavior more functional.

Policies and Practices Legislative Session: 84(R) Senate Bill 1753 Senate Author: Lucio Did not pass, died in committee. -PBIS provides guidance on behavior management by requiring functional behavior assessments of all students who exhibit disruptive behavior. directing educators to use the results of these assessments in the development of individualized behavior strategies specific to each student's needs. provides for training for all educators in PBIS strategies when necessary to implement behavior plans. clarifies the limited situations in which restraint may be used. empowers teachers with the tools they need to reduce behavior incidents so they can focus on teaching.

Policies and Practices Legislative Session: 85(R) House Bill 674 House Author:  Johnson, Eric et al. Effective:  6-12-17 Senate Sponsor:  Garcia et al. Eliminates K-2nd OUT OF SCHOOL Suspensions. Does not eliminate in school suspensions. the placement of a student who is enrolled below 3rd grade in out-of-school suspension with certain exceptions (gun to school, were involved with drugs or committed a violent offense). Implements a positive behavior program to address needs of students

Policies and Practices Legislative Session: 85(R) Senate Bill 1801 Senate Author:  Miles Ran out of time, PASSED when hung on to later bill. - reporting and disseminating information regarding public school disciplinary actions -*This bill did not originally include data collection for students with disabilities, but advocates had that added in. States that publicly available reports on school suspensions are insufficient to fully understand the identity of students affected by discipline disparities in public schools, which disproportionately affect African American or black male students. improves the data collected on school suspensions. amends current law relating to reporting and disseminating information regarding public school disciplinary actions.

Current Climate

Strengthening the state’s Early Childhood Intervention program, which helps babies and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays become school ready Training teachers, staff and local child care centers on alternative behavior supports and strategies, and legislative effects. Ensuring proper identification of all children for special education services, and to ensure districts are providing young students with special education services if they need it, including behavior supports, (IDEA compliance). Recommendations

Recommendations Monitor and reduce the use of in-school suspensions among pre-k through second grade students, and the disproportionate use of suspensions on certain groups of students. Identify well-performing districts, and ensure that outlier school districts reduce their heavy reliance on suspensions. Limit classroom removals Increase mental health supports in schools, including counselors. Track and report informal discipline data.

How can you make a difference? Become an advocate: • Educate others about issues and offer solutions • Address misconceptions and/or needs • Expose gaps in services or need for new policies

How can you make a difference? Get involved at the local level: School Board District Advisory Committees Campus-level activities Contact your public officials: • Email • Phone Letter/postcard • Office visit • Social media

Questions?