Resources for new K-12 discipline rules

The state (finally!) finalized new K-12 student discipline rules. Following are some resources from the Superintendent of Public Instruction's office.

Why is this important? 

Students with IEPs are about 2.5 times more likely to be suspended or expelled than students without IEPs. African American students also face high rates of exclusion and are about 2.6 times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white students.

• You can look up data here

What is new? 

The new discipline rules require schools to take a “prevention-based” approach, meaning that an attempt is made to correct a behavior before it requires discipline. The new rules also work to curb “informal suspensions.” If a child needs to be removed from class for the duration of a day, schools must to inform parents about the classroom exclusion as soon as possible. If parents are called to pick up their child, that should be documented and treated as a suspension. The parent guide (link below) goes into details.

The rules are being phased in. Links below detail which ones roll out this year, and which come next year.

Family Resources

• New Discipline Rules Family Quick Guide
• Discipline in Schools: A Parent Guide

District and Community Resources

• New Student Discipline Rules Q&A: A Technical Guide
• 2018–19 Discipline Rules PDF Version
• 2019–20 Discipline Rules PDF Version