How widespread are recent efforts to reform school discipline? Because public education in the U.S. is highly decentralized, our understanding of the landscape of schools’ discipline policies and practices is limited, according to the Brookings Institution. Do zero-tolerance policies remain prevalent today? And how common have alternative approaches to student discipline become?
To find out, Brookings and colleagues at the RAND Corporation surveyed 1,080 public school principals across the U.S. in 2021.
Most (62%) U.S. public schools had zero-tolerance policies—or mandatory penalties for students who break certain rules—in place during the 2021–2022 school year. Zero-tolerance policies are more common in secondary (middle/high) schools than elementary schools.
Among schools with zero-tolerance discipline policies in 2021-2022, most only applied to more serious offenses like bringing a weapon to school. Given that zero-tolerance policies were originally intended to quell drug and gun possession in schools, this is no surprise. Almost all schools (98%) with zero-tolerance policies said their policies covered infractions involving guns, and 80% said their policies covered knives. Plus, 85% said their zero-tolerance policies extended to possession of illegal drugs. Very few schools with zero-tolerance policies (6%) include low-level, nonviolent offenses like willful defiance.
Willful defiance and disobedience are categories of low-level, nonviolent offenses that can include misbehaviors like talking back to a teacher or not listening to a teacher’s instructions. Most schools (76%) continued to allow educators to suspend students for these types of offenses in 2021–2022. This practice was more common in secondary schools than in elementary schools.
The study measured the prevalence of four popular alternative approaches to exclusionary discipline in U.S. public schools:
- Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, or PBIS, is a program that aims to define schoolwide behavioral expectations and norms. It rewards students who meet those expectations while providing supports to students who do not meet them.
- Restorative justiceprograms and practices aim to cultivate a more inclusive and equitable school climate by supporting students and educators in developing conflict resolution skills.
- Social emotional learning (SEL) programs and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) are programs broadly related to improving school climate and preventing student behavioral challenges.
Principals reported that all four alternative approaches were widely used in U.S. public schools in 2021–2022. All programs except restorative justice practices were more common in elementary schools than in secondary schools. At the secondary level, the prevalence of these programs relates to the racial/ethnic composition of the school. For example, SEL programs were far less common in secondary schools with majority black student populations in 2021–2022.
Results from this national survey indicate that where zero-tolerance policies remain, they tend to cover only the most serious offenses like bringing a gun or other weapon to school. Still, many schools continue to allow educators to suspend students for low-level, nonviolent behaviors.
What schools replace punitive discipline approaches with matters, especially since managing student behavior and discipline are aspects of teaching that most educators struggle with. Survey data suggest that most public schools are investing in alternative approaches to exclusionary discipline.
Given the harmful outcomes known to be associated with suspensions and the racially disparate impact of exclusionary discipline policies and practices, it is critical for researchers continue to track how schools are approaching student discipline and how various approaches impact student outcomes.
The Brookings Institution
