Blog Series: OSEP Discipline Policies Reflect OSEP Priorities

Discipline and Behavior Series. Our Discipline Policies Reflect Our Priorities.

By the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 30, 2023) – Valerie C. Williams, director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), released the second blog in a blog series on discipline and behavior.

The newest blog addresses OSEP’s priorities of calling on “state and local leaders to double down on their efforts to reduce their reliance on exclusionary discipline practice,” and “creating safe, predictable learning environments for students and educators.”

“For many children with disabilities, particularly those who find comfort in routines, it [disciplinary removals] can be an uprooting and distressing experience,” Williams said. “It is hard for a child to learn when they are removed from their class.”

In addition to sharing how OSEP’s discipline policies reflect the office’s priorities, Williams asked two OSEP-funded technical assistance centers about preventative models early childhood programs, schools and families can use to address the behavior of young and school-aged children with disabilities.

The National Center on Pyramid Model Inventions answered questions through an early childhood lens while the Center on Positive Interventions & Supports addressed questions about school-aged children.

For the most up-to-date information from the blog series, visit the OSERS Blog.