C5 – Policies to Promote Equity in School Discipline Presenters: Kent McIntosh & Ambra Green Key Words: Equity, Systems Alignment, Tier 1

Maximizing Your Session Participation When Working In Your Team Consider 4 questions: Where are we in our implementation? What do I hope to learn? What did I learn? What will I do with what I learned?

Acknowledgements PBIS Center Disproportionality Workgroup (2018-19) Aaron Barnes Rhonda Nese Erin Chaparro Vicki Nishioka Bert Eliason Heidi von Ravensberg Erik Girvan Ruthie Payno-Simmons Steve Goodman Jennifer Rose Ambra Green Therese Sandomierski Beth Hill Russ Skiba Milaney Leverson Kent Smith Stephanie Martinez Keith Smolkowski Kent McIntosh

“That’s me!” How many of you… Work primarily with students and their families? Work primarily as school administrators? Work primarily at the district level? Work primarily at the state level? Work in a school implementing PBIS?

Overview of Today’s Session Provide background on the ways by which policy could affect change in disciplinary equity Addressing Discipline Disparities at the Federal Level Current Policy Review Recommendations Focus on skills/strategies: we in higher Ed are lousy at giving you the tools to manage behavior. Learn on the job. Handouts: http://www.pbis.org

A 5-point Intervention Approach to Enhance Equity in School Discipline Updated! There are no silver bullets “For every complex problem, there is a simple solution that won’t work.” (derived from H.L. Menken) Honor what you are already doing – we often throw everything at the problem http://www.pbis.org/school/equity-pbis

5-point Intervention Approach Collect, use, and report disaggregated discipline data Implement a behavior framework that is preventive, multi-tiered, and culturally responsive Use engaging academic instruction to reduce the opportunity (achievement) gap Develop policies with accountability for disciplinary equity Teach strategies to neutralize implicit bias Quality academic instruction Invest in systems that are proactive and flexible to be tailored to values and needs of students and families As we’ll see Not discussing this pm – ask me later Go into detail in this session http://www.pbis.org/school/equity-pbis

PBIS Forum Equity Strand Coaching PBIS Forum Equity Strand B5 B6 Collect, use, and report disaggregated discipline data Implement a behavior framework that is preventive, multi-tiered, and culturally responsive Use engaging academic instruction to reduce the opportunity (achievement) gap Develop policies with accountability for disciplinary equity Teach strategies to neutralize implicit bias D6 E6 C6 C5 A6 Supporting students who identify as LGBTQ Family/Student voice A7 D7

4. Implement policies with accountability for equity Equity Policy Guide http://www.pbis.org/school/equity-pbis

A Case Study: Oakland PD (Hunt, 2017) Persistent racial disparities in police stops

A Case Study: Oakland PD (Hunt, 2017) Patterns in stops by hour of shift

A Case Study: Oakland PD (Hunt, 2017) Consistent across time of day

A Case Study: Oakland PD (Hunt, 2017) Increasing disparities by number of stops

Data and Policy LVPD found high rates of excessive use of force after foot pursuits Policy change reduced use of force incidents after a foot pursuit by 23%

4. Implement policies with accountability for equity How could policy work fit in to enhancing equity? Could highlight a common priority Could reduce effects of explicit bias Could enable implementation of other aspects of equity interventions Could reduce use of discriminatory practices

Policy Example: Equitable Mission Statements The teachers, administrators and staff of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) believe in the equal worth and dignity of all students and are committed to educate all students to their maximum potential. Ineffective: Anand & Winters, 2008; Lai et al., 2013 Has not worked in LA. What did work was when CA eliminated teachers’ ability to suspend a student without principal approval.

Literature Review: Elements of Effective Policies (Canizal Delabra, McIntosh, & Nese, 2015) Ineffective Limited Research Effective ✖ General guidance on equity - Teacher-student ethnic match (i.e., hiring preferences) ✔ Removal of zero tolerance policies or suspensions for non-violent offenses ✖Including commitment to equity in mission statement - Clear, objective discipline procedures (e.g., ODR definitions, staff vs. office-managed behavior) ✔ Regular sharing of disproportionality data with managers/administrators and accountability for decisions ✖ One-time cultural sensitivity/diversity trainings - Adoption of proactive, positive instructional approach with students ✔ Installation of ongoing processes for assessing and addressing inequities (e.g., team charged with taking action and reporting data to administrators) ✖ Zero tolerance policies - Guidance to consider academic skills in school discipline decisions

What does not work in policy Enacting policies that nobody knows about Enacting policies that don’t change practice Policies without accountability for implementation

Addressing Discipline Disparities

Addressing Discipline Disparities Civil Rights Data Collection Surveys Dear Colleagues Letter (2014)

Addressing Discipline Disparities Dear Colleagues Letter (2014) Remove zero tolerance and exclusionary policies Multi-tiered behavioral frameworks Manage discipline equitably Implementing PBIS Restorative Practices

PBIS and EDPs But, how many schools/districts changed their policies?

Research and Data on Current Policies

Systematic Review of District Discipline Policies Coded 147 policies Hawaii, NYC, and D.C. coded as 1 policy each Checklist for Analyzing District Policies for Equity (CADPE) Adapted from Discipline Disproportionality Policy Guidebook and other policy checklists (Longstreth et al. 2013, Fenning and Bohanon, 2006) 7 Domains Elements and Early Childhood Section 47 Questions

7 Domains

Checklist for Analyzing Discipline Policies and Procedures for Equity (CADPPE)

Checklist for Analyzing Discipline Policies and Procedures for Equity (CADPPE)

Systematic Review Does the policy provide practices for reinforcing prosocial and expected behaviors?

Systematic Review Is “zero tolerance” (i.e., automatic suspension procedures for certain behaviors) mentioned as a practice/strategy in the district policy?

Systematic Review Is there clear communication that suspension or expulsion is limited to behavior incidents that pose a serious and credible threat to the safety of students and staff?

Systematic Review Does the policy include descriptions of and guidelines for using alternatives to suspension?

Systematic Review Does the policy restrict the use of exclusionary discipline (i.e., ISS, OSS, and expulsion) for non-violent behavior incidents (e.g., suspensions for disrespect)?

Systematic Review Does the policy provide lists of possible instructional responses in place of punitive responses?

Misconceptions

Research says: No data demonstrating that OSS or expulsions reduce the rate of student discipline. High rates of suspension correlate with low academic achievement (Skiba & Rausch, 2006) and have no academic benefits (Fabelo et al., 2011).  Classrooms are not supportive environments for students identified with challenging behaviors regardless of disability status and may actually promote inappropriate behavior (Moore-Partin et al., 2010). (Green, Maynard, & Stegenga, 2018)

There are misconceptions about the function of suspension. (Green, Maynard, & Stegenga, 2018)

There is no data to support this outcome. Research says: There is no data to support this outcome.  Relatively high rates of disciplinary recidivism among those who are suspended (Gregory, Skiba, & Noguera, 2010) with marginalized students subject to multiple suspensions (Sullivan, Van Norman, & Klingbeil, 2014;OCR, 2014).  Outcomes of using suspension and EDPs are damaging to the individual student and school climate, resulting in the possibility of negatively impacting all students’ academic and behavioral outcomes (Skiba, Arredondo, & Williams, 2014).  (Green, Maynard, & Stegenga, 2018)

Schools with higher rates of exclusionary discipline are associated with negative student perception of school climate, reduced school bonding and engagement, as well as reductions in educational opportunity according to school climate survey data (Flynn, Lissy, Alicea, Tazartes, & McKay, 2016; Skiba et al, 2014; U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, 2014). (Green, Maynard, & Stegenga, 2018)

There are misconceptions about the function of suspension. (Green, Maynard, & Stegenga, 2018)

Research says: Recognize and understand the many forms of parent engagement and to approach family engagement from a strength-based lens. Recent research has revealed the following 4 key principles for family engagement including: 1) Engaging families as equal partners in the educational process with shared and meaningful responsibilities and goals, 2) Family engagement must be part of a comprehensive learning plan and system of educational supports, (Green, Maynard, & Stegenga, 2018)

Research says: 3) Family engagement must be founded on a proactive developmental perspective that includes regular involvement to meet the needs of changing contexts and communities, and 4) Supports for family engagement must be embedded into systems and demonstrate components to promote sustainability over time (Barr & Saltmarsh, 2014; Halgunseth, 2009; Weiss et al., 2009).  (Green, Maynard, & Stegenga, 2018)

There are misconceptions about the function of suspension. (Green, Maynard, & Stegenga, 2018)

(Green, Maynard, & Stegenga, 2018)

Recommendations

1. Paradigm Shift

2. Policy Recommendations pbis.org School Equity & PBIS

Equity Policy Recommendations Include a Specific Commitment to Equity Create mission statements that include equity Enact hiring preferences for equitable discipline Install Effective Practices Require clear, objective school discipline procedures Support implementation of proactive, positive approaches to discipline Replace exclusionary practices w/ instructional ones Create Accountability for Efforts Create teams and procedures to enhance equity Share disproportionality data regularly Build equity outcomes into evaluations

Policy Example: Processes with Accountability The Board directs the Superintendent to develop and update a detailed action plan to address equity, with multiple metrics to assess progress in reducing inequities in school discipline. The action plan shall identify district leads and clear procedures for school staff. The Superintendent will share the plan and report on progress towards these goals to the Board at least twice per year. Lack of progress toward these goals may be considered grounds for dismissal. Don’t expect policy to fix everything

Policy Recommendations Cnt. Language that is more conversational and less legal to ensure that it is available to everyone. Define district-wide (or school-wide) expectations. Define prosocial behaviors. Define problem behaviors. Graduated discipline policy. Separate equity policies ensuring the use of equitable practices. Instructional approaches (i.e., re-teach expectations, model). Evidence-based practices (i.e., precorrection, positive specific feedback, reinforcement).

Examples of policy statements

Non-examples of policy statements Students suspended from school will receive up to a maximum of 50% credit for all make up work completed for the time they were suspended from school. Missing an assigned detention or misbehaving during a detention will result in referral to the office for disciplinary action. Subsequent offenses will include in or out-of-school suspension. Many policies continue to use suspension for truancy and attendance.

Questions? Want to chat some more? Join Us: RDQ 5 - Integrating Equity & PBIS Efforts at the District Level  4:00 PM  -  4:45 PM

Interested in joining the work? We are currently seeking… Applicants for our Special Education PhD Program with tuition and salary as Center Research Assistant https://education.uoregon.edu/program/special-education-phd Postdoctoral Scholar affiliated with Center on PBIS http://careers.uoregon.edu/cw/en-us/job/522939/postdoctoral-scholar Research Professor affiliated with Center on PBIS (focus on Tier 2/3 systems) Posting forthcoming For details, email kentm@uoregon.edu Applications due January 5th

Washington, DC Save the dates, February 20 – 23, 2019 for the… Pre-Conference Workshops FEBRUARY 20 Skill-Building Workshops FEBRUARY 23 Breakout Sessions FEBRUARY 21 - 22 Networking | Posters | Exhibits Washington, DC Grand Hyatt Washington For more information, visit: conference.apbs.org

Contact Information Kent McIntosh Special Education Program University of Oregon kentm@uoregon.edu @_kentmc Ambra L. Green Special Education Program University of Texas at Arlington ambra.green@uta.edu @AmbraLGreen College of Education University of Texas at Arlington Support for this work: NCSER (R324A170034)