Through Keep Kids in Class, MA Appleseed is at the forefront of understanding the full impact of school discipline policies. Current state law allows school principals to suspend or expel children for serious offenses, such as possessing drugs in school. However, in some cases, principles exclude children without considering all of the circumstances. This practice, sometimes referred to as "zero tolerance," can have devastating consequences for kids.

In fact, each year, some 32,000 students are excluded from school. Preschoolers as young as four years old, and sixth- and ninth-graders making the transition to middle and high school, are especially at risk. Excluded students are likely to be male, poor, or receiving special education; a disproportionate number are Latino or African-American. Once excluded, a majority of these children—our children—drop out, end up in "the system," or serve time.

MA Appleseed is gathering data and identifying effective alternatives to excluding students. Next, we will share these best practices widely: with our policymakers, our educators, and our families and communities. The result? Kids are kept in class where they are safe, supported, and available for learning.

Impact of Anti-Bullying Legislation: MA Appleseed's attention to and expertise in this area is particularly important in light of Massachusetts' recent anti-bullying legislation. While the new anti-bullying law is forward thinking in several important ways, it still leaves crucial concerns unaddressed and puts certain students at greater risk for punitive disciplinary action. We are at the forefront of ensuring that the Legislature, school districts, and other stakeholders know the potential pitfalls of implementing this new legislation in a highly charged political climate. Of primary concern is the potential shift of focus from bullying prevention and creating caring school communities to one of punishment and an increase in student suspensions and expulsions.

Read MA Appleseed Executive Director Joan Meschino's February 2011 testimony to the Commission to Review Statutes Relative to Implementation of the School Bullying Law.

School Discipline Report: MA Appleseed wrote "Keep Kids in Class: New Approaches to School Discipline" to raise awareness about school discipline in Massachusetts. After meeting with experts who work in public schools and examining data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, we have an up-to-date understanding of current problems in the school discipline system as well as preventative approaches that schools have used to lower their exclusion rates. Through broad dissemination of the report, we will change the conversation about school discipline in Massachusetts for the better. You can access the report here.

Conference, "Keep Kids in Class: Building Positive School Climates": Over eighty people attended Massachusetts Appleseed's first annual conference on January 26, 2012 entitled, "Keep Kids in Class: Building Positive School Climates." The conference coincided with the publication of MA Appleseed's report, "Keep Kids in Class: New Approaches to School Discipline." The diverse audience included educators, advocates and policy-makers. The keynote speaker, Dr. Robert Brooks, inspired guests by urging teachers and administrators to create positive school climates and to "believe in the capacity of students to overcome adversity and become more helpful and resilient." Following Dr. Brooks, MA Appleseed Executive Director, Joan Meschino, provided a synopsis of the new MA Appleseed report on school discipline. The conference also included three "breakout sessions" and informational tables on restorative justice, trauma-sensitive learning, and other programs and advocacy efforts, all related to positive school climates.

Parent Guide to School Discipline: Our Parent Guide provides parents and caregivers with guidance about the school disciplinary process. The guide also offers strategies to help parents become informed advocates and strong partners in their children's education. The guide covers different types of disciplinary actions, strategies to advocate for a child, and more detailed information on serious actions and expulsions. You can access the guide here. MA Appleseed is grateful to its sister center, Texas Appleseed, for its permission to modify the original Texas law-based publication, "When My Child Is Disciplined at School."

Juvenile Judge Survey: MA Appleseed interviewed 15 juvenile court judges to gain a better understanding into the needs of court-referred youth. We seek to better understand the dynamics of school disciplinary policies on the juvenile justice system and vice versa. MA Appleseed is drafting a white paper discussing our findings which will include potential strategies to address the needs of this population of vulnerable students.

Code of Conduct Advisory Council, Boston Public Schools (BPS): MA Appleseed, along with other community stakeholders and advocates, proposed important revisions to BPS' Code of Conduct around its discipline provisions. In July 2010, the Boston School Committee adopted these revisions, signaling a long-hoped for shift away from a zero-tolerance attitude towards school discipline. At the same time, the School Committee created an advisory council to advise the Superintendent on the revised Code's implementation, to review the Code annually for further improvements, and to suggest best practices to reduce BPS's suspensions and expulsions. Comprised of parents, students, advocates, and community partners, the Advisory Council functions independently of and in cooperation with BPS. MA Appleseed's participation allows us to advocate for a departure from zero tolerance altogether, for robust data collection, and for creating a community collaboration replicable in other school districts.