Leveraging Federal Funds to Disrupt Disproportionate Discipline Practices

In U.S. public schools, children of color are disciplined, suspended, and expelled at significantly higher rates than their White counterparts. This disproportionality in discipline practices has implications for students’ long-term academic and emotional outcomes.

This knowledge brief provides guidance on leveraging federal funds to disrupt disproportionate discipline practices in U.S. public schools. The brief indicates the need to collect and review robust data to understand the root causes of disparities and to implement interventions that address systemic issues rather than individual students. It also emphasizes the importance of using resources strategically to support shifts in identified practices and policies for long-term impact on student outcomes.