AISR resource sheets for parents and community members on school discipline released 10/5/11 to accompany new NEPC policy brief

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AISR's Center for Education Organizing staff prepared three resource sheets on school discipline, designed to accompany the policy brief Discipline Policies, Successful Schools, and Racial Justice, written by Daniel Losen of the Civil Rights Project (CRP) and published by the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado as part of the Dignity in Schools (DIS) Campaign National Week of Action. The NEPC brief presents research showing that unnecessarily harsh discipline policies are being applied unfairly and disproportionately to minority students, dragging down academic achievement. An accompanying NEPC brief offers statutory code changes that can be adopted by state and federal policymakers. NEPC, AISR, DIS, and CRP announced the release of the briefs and resource sheets on October 5, 2011, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

The resource sheets, prepared by CEO staff for parents and community members, summarize highlights from the NEPC briefs:

• School Discipline: What the Research Tells Us; Myths and Facts documents disproportionate suspension rates for minority students and summarizes research that challenges prevailing beliefs about suspension.
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• Federal Policy Recommendations to Promote Fair and Effective School Discipline summarizes the NEPC recommendations for federal legislation to improve the equity and efficacy of school, district, and state discipline policies.
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• State Legislative Recommendations to Promote Fair and Effective School Discipline summarizes the NEPC recommendations for state legislation to improve data collection, support effective programs, and monitor suspension rates.
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NEPC PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO

Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) at the University of Colorado at Boulder, speaks about the work of the NEPC and the importance of the report and its findings. > Watch video (04:31)

Edward Ward, a youth organizer with Blocks Together (Chicago, IL) speaks about his experience with school pushout and working with Blocks Together to introduce restorative practices in Chicago public schools. > Watch video (06:48)

Wanda Parker, a parent organizer with Citizens for a Better Greenville (Greenville, MS) speaks about her experience with school pushout in her son's school. > Watch video (06:13)

NEPC REPORT NEWS COVERAGE

• Report shows minority students suspended at higher rates, USA Today 10/5/11
• Study Finds Minority Students Get Harsher Punishments, Education Week 10/5/11
• School Discipline Records Show Racial Disparities, Hechinger Report 10/5/11
• Minority Students Face Harsher Punishments, Report Says, Huffington Post 10/5/11
• Zero-tolerance policy pushing up school suspensions, report says, Los Angeles Times 10/5/11
• National report highlights punitive suspensions of minority students, which are on the rise in Baltimore, Baltimore Sun 10/5/11
• Study: Minority students suspended more often that whites; teacher experience plays a role, The American Independent 10/5/11
• Black and Latino Students Suspended More Often, BET 10/5/11
• Report: Minority Kids Suspended More, Hispanic Business 10/5/11
• Minority Students Face Harsher Punishments, Report Shows, educationinformationonline 10/5/11
• Study: Minority students suspended more often than whites; teacher experience plays a role, The New Mexico Independent 10/5/11
• PEN Newsblast, 10/7/11
• Racial disparity in school discipline, a missed education reform?, Daily Kos 10/5/11
• Zero-tolerance policies pushing up school suspensions, report says, 4LAKIDS 10/6/11
• Report: Big gap in school discipline, Clarion Ledger 10/5/11
• New report cites disproportionate punishment for black students, The Center for Public Integrity, iwatch 10/6/11
• New report on disparities in student discipline shows there's no justice for minority and diabled students, Latina Lista 10/5/11
• Disparate discipline in public schools, Thoughts on Public Education 10/6/11
• Minority Students Face Harsher Discipline, Latino Ed Beat 10/6/11
• Report notes large racial disparities in school discipline, The CT Mirror 10/6/11
• Report Shows Minority Students Suspended at Higher Rates, WLTX, Columbia, SC 10/5/11
• Minority students disciplined at higher rate than whites, The Colorado Independent, 10/6/11
• Black Students Are More Likely to be Suspended From School, The Voice 10/6/11
• Should Oakland track student suspensions by teacher?, The Education Report 10/5/11 
• School Suspensions Higher for Blacks, BlackAmericaWeb News 10/6/11