Discipline Continuous Improvement: Suspension & Expulsion Best Practices Proposal

1. Discipline Continuous Improvement:Suspension & ExpulsionBest Practices Proposal

2. Goals • Reduce incidence rates for all students • Eliminate racial disproportionality in discipline events by: • Re-calibrating use of out of school suspension (OSS) • Augmenting use of alternatives to suspension • Calibrate expulsion practices to mirror SB-046

3. Successes from 2011-12 • Significant reduction in OSS events • Significant reduction in expulsion events • Increased due process for expulsion hearings • Creation of alternatives to suspension/ expulsion

4. Expulsion Trends • Expulsions continue to decline, from 185 in 2009-10 to 104 in 2010-11 to 63 in 2011-12. • 73% of all expulsions during 2011-12 were for drug distribution or dangerous weapons.

5. OSS Trends • 94% of DPS students did not receive an out-of-school suspension in 2011-12. • OSS incidents continue to decline, from 9,558 in 2009-10 to 8,736 in 2010-11 to 7,525 in 2011-12.

6. Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

7. OSS Race & Ethnicity Rates

8. Expulsion Race & Ethnicity Rates

9. Lessons learned from 2011-12 • While incidence rates are down, disproportionality is not, which remains a challenge. • In order to permanently change school’s practice, need to change school team’s beliefs and skills in addition to changing District policy and procedures. • Communication and school leader support are critical components to shifting practice at the school level. • Instructional Superintendent and Executive Director staff are critical elements of supporting the shift in school practices. • Continued public support from senior leadership is essential. • Efforts to communicate need for change, train staff, provide support materials and resources must be sustained for multiple years at all schools (district-run and autonomous).

10. OSS Goals • Restrict use of OSS to serious and credible threats, as noted in SB-046. • Limit range of OSS events to 0 and 3 days (exception for extensions as part of expulsion review process). • Increase use of restorative alternatives to suspension.

11. Recalibration of OSS Serious and credible threats will be considered for OSS/ISS: • Extension connected to an expulsion review • Firearm • Robbery • First, second or third degree assault • Sale or distribution of, or intent to sell, unauthorized drugs or controlled substances • Sexual assault, unlawful sexual behavior, unlawful sexual contact, and indecent exposure • Carrying, bringing, using, or possessing a knife, a dangerous weapon, including BB guns, pellet guns, knives, or a facsimile gun • Arson • Possession of an explosive that seriously endangers the welfare or safety of others • Bullying • Assault or harassment against a school employee • Hazing activities • Witness intimidation • Habitual disruption

12. Calibration of Expulsion Adjustments to Board of Education Policy JK-R: • Firearm: Required expulsion hearing and one-year expulsion • All others: Mandatory/Optional hearing review request

13. Proposed Roll-Out Timeline • June-August 2012: Met with senior leadership for input and buy-in • July 2012: Met with Disproportionality Elimination Task Force to gather input • July-August 2012: Met with Instructional Superintendents and Executive Directors to obtain input and buy-in • July 2012: Met with DPS Legal to obtain input and buy-in • July 2012: Met with Superintendent’s office to obtain input and buy-in • August 2012: Met with Padres y Jovenes Unidos to obtain input and buy-in • August 2012: Shared expectations on new practices with Principals • August 2012-May 2013: Monthly meeting opportunities with AP/SA/Deans to manage and support roll-out • September 2012: DA review of proposed changes to JK-R • September 2012: Reviewed proposed discipline changes in student discipline task force meeting and in elementary Instructional Superintendent meeting • Fall 2012: Board update and revisions to Discipline Matrix and JK-R