Equity in Student Discipline

Like other states, Washington has experienced significant and persistent disparities in the discipline of students based upon race/ethnicity, disability status, language, sex and other factors. While overall rates of exclusionary discipline (suspension and expulsion) have declined over the last decade, significant disparities persist. These trends warrant serious attention from school districts, as well as OSPI, to work toward equitable opportunities and outcomes for each and every student.

OSPI provides support to districts and schools to address disparities and improve equity in student discipline across Washington state. Support to districts includes activities, such as:

• Training on multiple topics (data, implicit bias, research-based practices, positive behavioral supports, etc.)
• Use of data and analysis to identify discipline disparities that require attention
• Root cause analysis
• Coaching for administrators at the building and district levels
• Consultation on district policies and practices

OSPI is available to help schools and communities use data to identify disparities, implement evidence-based practices that improve equity in discipline while keeping students in school, and protect the civil rights of each student.

Disparate Discipline Resources

Practice Briefs and References

• Equity in Discipline Theory of Action Background Document
• Eliminating Disparities Practices Brief
• Discipline Data Practice Brief
• Dynamics of Behavior Practice Brief

Training Videos and Materials

• Understanding Discipline Disparities and Root Cause Analysis
• Using Disaggregated Data to Identify and Support Vulnerable Student Groups
  • Powerpoint
• Instructions on How Districts Access the Discipline Dashboard
• Discipline Data Dashboard 2.0: an Overview for Users

Data Tools and Help

• Discipline Dashboard for CEDARS Exclusion Data

Policy, Laws, Regulation, and Monitoring

Under state law, each school district and public charter school must at least annually review data on corrective and disciplinary actions taken against students within each school. Through this data review, each district and charter school must make sure that it is administering student discipline without discrimination. This data review and analysis must include, at a minimum, expulsions, emergency expulsions, short-term suspensions, and long-term suspensions disaggregated by sex, race, limited-English proficiency, and disability. WAC 392-190-048

Analysis of the impact of discipline policies and practices on particular groups of students is an important indicator of equity in student discipline and civil rights compliance.

Laws & Regulations: Civil Rights

• Chapter 28A.640 RCW (Sex Equity)
• Chapter 28A.642 RCW (Nondiscrimination)
• Chapter 392-190 WAC
• OSPI Civil Rights Guidelines

Laws & Regulations: Due Process

• Chapter 28A.600 RCW (Students)
• Chapter 392-400 WAC (Student Discipline)

Monitoring & Complaints

• Consolidated Program Review
• Complaints about Discrimination

Root Cause Analysis

Analyzing Data & Root Causes

School and district teams should analyze discipline data to identify patterns, determine root causes of discipline disparities, and guide planning and decision-making. Under state law, each district and charter school must review discipline data disaggregated by race, disability, ELL-status, and sex-at least annually-to identify disparities and monitor progress toward eliminating them. Each district-with input from families, students, staff, and community members-should develop a plan to address its discipline challenges and inform changes in policy and practice.

Understand the Data

Data Reporting

• Comprehensive Educational Data and Research System (CEDARS)
• Student Discipline Task Force-discipline definitions and data elements
• Civil Rights Data Collection (U.S. Department of Education)
• Discipline Data Tips
• Classroom Exclusion
• In-School Suspension
• Short-Term Suspension
• Long-Term Suspension
• Expulsion
• Emergency Expulsion

Plan & Self-Assess

• Addressing the Root Causes of Disparities in School Discipline: An Educator's Action Planning Guide

  • Educator's Action Planning Guide: Digging Into the Data, Getting at the Roots of Disparities, and Creating an Action Plan
  • Discipline Data Checklist
  • Data Mining Decision Tree
  • Discipline Disparities Risk Assessment Tool (Excel)
  • Supportive Data Resources
  • Action Plan Template
  • Root Cause Diagnostic Tree
• Advancing School Discipline Reform (American Institutes for Research, NASBE) includes success stories, discussion questions, and talking points
• Self-Assessment Tracking Guides: These guides, developed by the Supportive School Discipline Initiative, help schools complete a preliminary, high-level assessment of strategies and guiding principles for improving school climate and discipline.
  • Fostering Positive School Climate to Prevent Behavioral Issues and Promote Student Success
  • Clear, Appropriate, and Consistent Expectations and Consequences
  • Equity and Continuous Improvement
  • Leadership for Equity Assessment & Development (LEAD) Tool (Education Northwest) is a professional growth tool designed to support school leadership teams in developing organizational leadership capacity for equity.
  • Active Implementation Hub is a free, online learning environment for active implementation and scaling up of programs and innovations

Research Root Causes & Strategies

• The U.S. Department of Education's Guiding Principles draw from emerging research and best practices to describe three key principles and related action steps that can help guide state and local efforts to improve school climate and school discipline.
• The School Discipline Consensus Report by the Council of State Governments Justice Center presents consensus-based and field-driven recommendations to improve conditions for learning for all students and educators, better support students with behavioral needs, improve police-schools partnerships, and keep students out of the juvenile justice system for minor offenses.

Decide On a Plan

Each district-with input from families, students, staff, and community members-should develop a plan to address its discipline disparities and inform changes in policy and practice. Extensive research and resources exist to help districts and schools implement promising practices that promote equity in student discipline while keeping students in school.

General Research & Resources

• Behavior Menu of Best Practices and Strategies provides best practices and strategies for addressing behavioral needs to improve student academic outcomes and can be used to support K-12 students served by the state's Learning Assistance Program (LAP).
• The School Discipline Consensus Report by the Council of State Governments Justice Center presents consensus-based and field-driven recommendations to improve conditions for learning for all students and educators, better support students with behavioral needs, improve police-schools partnerships, and keep students out of the juvenile justice system for minor offenses

School Climate & Prevention

• Action Steps for Guiding Principle #1: Climate and Prevention (U.S. Department of Education)
• School Climate Surveys and Reports (U.S. Department of Education)
• Quick Guide on Making School Climate Improvements (U.S. Department of Education)
• Learning Assistance Program (LAP) funds can be used to deliver behavior services in accordance with the Behavior Menu of Best Practices & Strategies.
• PBIS Technical Assistance Center provides technical assistance to improve the capacity of states, districts and schools to establish, scale-up and sustain positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), with emphasis on the social, emotional and academic outcomes for students with disabilities.

Expectations & Consequences

• Action Steps for Guiding Principle #2: Clear, Appropriate, and Consistent Expectations and Consequences (U.S. Department of Education)
• The Student Discipline Task Force developed definitions and data elements that revise the collection of discipline data through CEDARS.
• Learning Assistance Program (LAP) funds can be used to deliver behavior services in accordance with the Behavior Menu of Best Practices & Strategies.
• PBIS Technical Assistance Center provides technical assistance to improve the capacity of states, districts and schools to establish, scale-up and sustain positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), with emphasis on the social, emotional and academic outcomes for students with disabilities.

Equity & Continuous Improvement

• Action Steps for Guiding Principle #3: Clear, Appropriate, and Consistent Expectations and Consequences (U.S. Department of Education)
• Harvard Implicit Bias Test (IAT)
• Test Your Implicit Bias with Science (PBS Independent Lens Blog)
• Leadership for Equity Assessment & Development (LEAD) Tool (Education Northwest)

Evaluate & Monitor Progress

Improving equity in student discipline requires a commitment to continuous improvement. District and school teams should regularly review disaggregated discipline data to monitor the effectiveness of strategies and interventions, measure progress over time, and evaluate how discipline policies, procedures, and practices are impacting different groups. Under state law, each district and charter school must review disaggregated discipline data at least annually.

Data Reporting

• Comprehensive Educational Data and Research System (CEDARS)
• Student Discipline Task Force-discipline definitions and data elements
• Civil Rights Data Collection (U.S. Department of Education)

National Data Tools

• U.S. Department of Education: School Climate and Discipline
• Civil Rights Data Collection Data Snapshot: School Discipline (U.S. Department of Education)
• Civil Rights Data Collection (U.S. Department of Education)

Adjust Your Plan

As district and school teams review discipline data to monitor the effectiveness of an intervention or strategy, they should adjust the plan if data show little or no progress. To inform this decision, school and district teams should consider whether additional time or support might be necessary for staff to fully implement the strategy or intervention with fidelity, or whether implementing a new or additional strategy might be necessary.

Preventing and Addressing Discrimination in Student Discipline

Guidelines for implementing Washington's Equal Educational Opportunity Laws: Chapters 28A.640 and 28A.642 RCW and Chapter 392-190 WAC

Published October 2019

These guidelines describe how school districts can meet their obligations under state law to administer student discipline without discrimination. These guidelines constitute OSPI's interpretation of the law and are provided to support school districts' understanding of their obligations under these laws. Schools should consider these guidelines when developing, assessing, and revising discipline policies, procedures, and practices. Schools should also carefully review the guidelines when investigating and responding to complaints alleging discrimination in student discipline.

View or Print the Guidelines