OSEP Director Discusses Discipline Inequities, OSEP-Funded Centers Provide School and Program Leaders Resources

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 20, 2023) – The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) released the March blog in the Discipline Discussions series, March 20.

OSEP Director Valerie C. Williams addressed discipline inequities and exclusionary discipline.

“Exclusionary discipline practices in our nation’s schools disproportionately impact students of color; students with emotional, behavioral, and cognitive disabilities; and youth who identify as LGBTQ,” Williams said. “The disparities of students being removed from class, losing opportunities to learn, and missing opportunities to interact socially with peers alarms me.”

Williams asked two OSEP-funded technical assistance centers, the IDEA Data Center (IDC) and the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI), to highlight resources to support school and program leaders and educators to address discipline disparities.

“It is my hope that in building our toolkit on what we know and what we’ve learned about discipline disparities and positive approaches, our young people, including those most marginalized, can grow up safe and have positive outcomes in their schools and communities,” Williams said.

Visit the OSERS Blog for the most updated posts in the Discipline Discussions series.

Last modified on May 19, 2023