New Federal School Discipline Guidance Addresses Discrimination, Suspensions

Posted by on January 20, 2014

New Federal School Discipline Guidance Addresses Discrimination, Suspensions

Leaders of the U.S. departments of Education and Justice have issued new guidance on how school leaders can ensure that discipline policies are drafted and applied in a manner that does not discriminate against  racial or ethnic groups.

Leaders should also seek alternatives to “exclusionary” penalties like suspension and expulsion that rob students of valuable classroom time, often for nonviolent offenses, said U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who were scheduled to discuss the guidance at an event this morning at at Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore.

The new guidance clarifies how districts can meet their obligations under Title IV and Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, which relate to fair and nondiscriminatory treatment among schools and recipients of federal aid.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2014/01/new_federal_school_discipline_guidance_addresses_discrimination_suspensions.html

See also: http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-departments-education-and-justice-release-school-discipline-guidance-package-