5 Actions to Reduce Exclusionary Discipline

OSEP Launches 200+ Resource Database to Support Reducing Exclusionary Discipline

Discipline and Behavior. 5 Actions to Reduce Exclusionary Discipline. Final Post in Series.

Over the last seven months, this Discipline Discussions blog series has highlighted many of the most pressing issues in the discipline practices and behavioral supports for children with disabilities: informal removals, discipline disparities, suspensions and expulsions in early childhood programs, to name a few.

Valerie C. Williams Director, Office of Special Education Programs Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

By Valerie C. Williams
Director, Office of Special Education Programs

But this blog series was never intended to admire a challenge we know exists. Instead, every month OSEP-funded technical assistance centers have provided concrete, actionable, turnkey resources for educators, families, early childhood programs, and administrators at the state and local levels to reduce exclusionary discipline.

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Discipline Discussions: Preparing Future Educators to Proactively, Positively Address Behavior

Preparing Future Educators to Proactively Positively Address Behavior

Valerie C. Williams Director, Office of Special Education Programs Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

By Valerie C. Williams
Director, Office of Special Education Programs

Recently, I asked my sixth-grade son to complete this sentence: School is a place where I ______.

Without hesitation, Matthew responded, “School is a place where I go to learn and have fun.” Matthew is my 12-year-old son who happens to have Down Syndrome. His journey has been shaped by the dedicated educators and instructional support personnel who have held high expectations for his success and growth, and I see their efforts echoed in Matthew’s perspective about school.

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Discipline Discussions: Suspension, Expulsion & Informal Removals: Unexpected Realities in Preschool

Discipline and Behavior Series -- Suspension, Expulsion & Informal Removals: Unexpected Realities in Preschool

Play. Learn. Grow.

Valerie C. Williams Director, Office of Special Education Programs Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

By Valerie C. Williams
Director, Office of Special Education Programs

These are the words that come to mind when I think about preschool and our youngest learners. But the reality is far different for many children and their families: suspensions, expulsions and other forms of exclusionary discipline remove children from their preschool environment and create stressful and isolating experiences.

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Discipline Discussions: The Power of Asking “Why”

Discipline and Behavior Series: The Power of Asking “Why”

Valerie C. Williams Director, Office of Special Education Programs Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

By Valerie C. Williams
Director, Office of Special Education Programs

In the 2021–22 school year, 84% of public schools reported that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted students’ behavioral development, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

In schools across our country, for children with and without disabilities, this can look like classroom disruptions, rowdiness, or acting out. Indeed, the pandemic’s impact continues to affect all ages, from our youngest learners to adolescents and has often resulted in disciplinary removals.

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Discipline Discussions: Changing Our Mindset—Discipline Inequities

Discipline and Behavior Series: Changing Our Mindset: Discipline Inequities

Valerie C. Williams Director, Office of Special Education Programs Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

By Valerie C. Williams
Director, Office of Special Education Programs

I must confess that being a mother of an African American young man — specifically, a 12-year-old Black boy with a disability — I am gravely concerned with the disparities in discipline practices that children with disabilities, particularly children of color with disabilities, experience.  This breaks my heart and simultaneously makes me very angry.

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Discipline Discussions: Informal Removals Matter

Discipline and Behavior: Informal Removals Matter

Valerie C. Williams Director, Office of Special Education Programs Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

By Valerie C. Williams
Director, Office of Special Education Programs

When my cell phone rings in the middle of the day and I see my son’s school is calling, I immediately have a moment of unease: did Matthew get hurt, is he sick, what happened that warrants this call in the middle of the day? Matthew is a sixth grader with Down syndrome, but I know these feelings are shared by parents of children with and without disabilities alike.

I count myself lucky that with each of these calls I am relieved to hear about situations that, while important enough to call, are typically intended to share information about my son’s day or report on a minor issue. I am thankful that the school staff overcommunicate and keep us informed, as well as share potential solutions if a problem arises. In short, they are proactive, so after a brief chat with school personnel, I resume my day.

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Discipline Discussions: Our Discipline Policies Reflect Our Priorities

Discipline and Behavior: Our Discipline Policies Reflect Our Priorities

 1,591,473

Valerie C. Williams Director, Office of Special Education Programs Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

By Valerie C. Williams
Director, Office of Special Education Programs

1,591,473

This is the total number of disciplinary removals students with disabilities experienced over the 2019-20 school year. Each removal represents a child’s time away from their typical learning environment: time away from their teachers, their peers, and their friends. For many children with disabilities, particularly those who find comfort in routines, it can be an uprooting and distressing experience. It is hard for a child to learn when they are removed from their class.

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Discipline Discussions: The Impact and Harm of Exclusionary Discipline 

Discipline Discussions Banner - Introduction

Valerie C. Williams Director, Office of Special Education Programs Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

By Valerie C. Williams
Director, Office of Special Education Programs

Over seven million children with disabilities and their families rely on the effective, high-quality implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to support a lifetime of success.

Make no mistake about it, IDEA — and the rights and protections it affords — impacts a child’s future, how they view themselves as learners today and leaders tomorrow. In fact, the National Center for Educational Outcomes estimates that 85–90% of children with disabilities can be expected to achieve at grade-level when they are provided with the best instruction, supports, and accommodations. Indeed, the promise of IDEA rests with the full implementation of the law.

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