Discipline

Learn more about how schools handle student discipline and how disciplinary actions affect students
Sign on door that reads "Principal's Office" from a school.
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Equity & Diversity Educators Tend to View Black Girls More Harshly. Here Are the Consequences
Schools discipline Black girls more frequently and severely than their white peers—even for similar incidents.
Brooke Schultz, September 19, 2024
8 min read
Illustration about warnings, with a businessman and woman each holding a with megaphone in front of a caution symbol.
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School Climate & Safety Infographic What CDC Safety Data Reveal About School Absenteeism, in Charts
New federal data show a rising number of students feel unsafe at school.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 14, 2024
2 min read
Student who is upset with head down at the steps of a school.
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Equity & Diversity What Happened When a State Banned Suspensions for Young Students
A statewide ban on suspension for some learners successfully reduced its use—but some students were still disproportionately affected.
Brooke Schultz, August 1, 2024
6 min read
A young man takes his time to think critically. Weighing advice from a mentor vs. social media and peer pressure.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School Climate & Safety Opinion My Teachers Were in ‘Survival Mode’ Over Student Behavior. We Had to Reset
Just months into the school year, one principal took on a daunting challenge: transforming classroom cultures hobbled by misbehavior.
George Farmer, July 30, 2024
5 min read
A sign outside the United States Government Accountability Office in central
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Equity & Diversity Which Students Are Most Likely to Be Arrested in School?
A student’s race, gender, and disability status all heavily factor into which students are arrested.
Brooke Schultz, July 15, 2024
3 min read
Image of a student sitting outside of a doorway.
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School Climate & Safety Can a Teachers' 'Bill of Rights' Bring Order to the Classroom?
Alabama's new law gives teachers the authority to remove misbehaving students from class.
Elizabeth Heubeck, June 20, 2024
4 min read
The Supreme Court building is seen on June 13, 2024, in Washington.
The Supreme Court building is seen on June 13, 2024, in Washington.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Law & Courts Why the $4.5 Billion School E-Rate Program Is Headed to the Supreme Court
The justices will decide whether allegations of overcharging under the telecom-funded program may be brought under the False Claims Act.
Mark Walsh, June 17, 2024
6 min read
Generic school hallway with lockers
Some districts have integrated more restorative justice practices into their disciplinary structure. Experts describe what restorative justice looks like and how it can be implemented in schools.
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School Climate & Safety Explainer Restorative Justice in Schools, Explained
What is restorative justice, and how can it be implemented in schools?
Brooke Schultz, May 31, 2024
1 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
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School Climate & Safety Opinion How Do Restorative Practices Work?
Traditional punitive measures tend to reap more misbehavior.
Larry Ferlazzo, May 22, 2024
13 min read
Glossary abstract concept open book with special education iconography
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty Images
Special Education Explainer A Guide to Special Education Terms
The number of students in special education has increased steadily in the last four decades. Here are some of the common terms used.
Brooke Schultz, May 21, 2024
7 min read
Audrey Wright, right, quizzes fellow members of the Peace Warriors group at Chicago's North Lawndale College Prep High School on Thursday, April 19, 2018. Wright, who is a junior and the group's current president, was asking the students, from left, freshmen Otto Lewellyn III and Simone Johnson and sophomore Nia Bell, about a symbol used in the group's training on conflict resolution and team building. The students also must memorize and regularly recite the Rev. Martin Luther King's "Six Principles of Nonviolence."
A group of students at Chicago's North Lawndale College Prep High School participates in a training on conflict resolution and team building on Thursday, April 19, 2018. Nearly half of educators in a recent EdWeek Research Center survey said their schools are using restorative justice more now than they did five years ago.
Martha Irvine/AP
School Climate & Safety From Our Research Center How Much Educators Say They Use Suspensions, Expulsions, and Restorative Justice
With student behavior a top concern among educators now, a new survey points to many schools using less exclusionary discipline.
Caitlynn Peetz, April 19, 2024
4 min read
Students raise their hands during an assembly at Yates Magnet Elementary School in Schenectady, N.Y., on March 28, 2024.
Students raise their hands during an assembly at Yates Magnet Elementary School in Schenectady, N.Y., on March 28, 2024.
Scott Rossi for Education Week
Teaching A Classroom Management Training Helps New Teachers Send Fewer Kids to the Office
Anti-bias training has mixed success in cutting racial discipline gaps. Helping teachers interpret student behavior may be more effective.
Sarah D. Sparks, April 14, 2024
9 min read
Third graders have lunch outdoors at Highland Elementary School in Columbus, Kan., on Oct. 17, 2022.
Third graders have lunch outdoors at Highland Elementary School in Columbus, Kan., on Oct. 17, 2022.
Charlie Riedel/AP
Student Well-Being The Surprising Connection Between Universal School Meals and Student Discipline
Giving all students free school meals can help nurture a positive school climate by eliminating the stigma around poverty.
Arianna Prothero, April 12, 2024
6 min read
Close-up stock photograph showing a touchscreen monitor with a woman’s hand looking at responses being asked by an AI chatbot.
E+
Classroom Technology More Teachers Are Using AI-Detection Tools. Here's Why That Might Be a Problem
Students are increasingly getting disciplined for using generative AI, a new survey finds.
Arianna Prothero, April 5, 2024
7 min read