From Policy to Practice: Implementing the Citywide Discipline Policy

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From Policy to PracticeImplementing the
Citywide Discipline Policy

• Minneapolis Public Schools
• Office of Student Engagement
• August 2003

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Why did MPS need new policy and procedures?

• The old CWDP did not adequately fulfill its five
  primary purposes.
• help students develop the skills to behave
  properly
• hold students accountable for their behavior
• maintain safe and orderly learning communities,
  and
• assure reasonable consistency across all schools
  in the district.
• define and communicate expectations for student
  and staff behavior.

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• There is a broad consensus that
• behavior is a significant issue in
• most of our schools. The old CWDP
• did not provide sufficient guidance
• and structure to staff on how to deal
• with behavior challenges.

4

• Historically the district suspension rate has
  been unacceptably high. Of particular concern is
  the disproportionate number of suspensions that
  are given to African American males and other
  students of color.
• Repeatedly the families of our students and
  community members express concerns about inequity
  in discipline, concerns about safety and concerns
  about instructional time lost due to removal from
  class and suspension.

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Where Did the New Policy and Procedures Come From?

• OSE reviewed input from community, family,
  student and staff collected over the past 5
  years.
• OSE convened a Task Force to review the input,
  policies from other districts and MPS data and to
  draft recommendations.

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Membership of the Task Force

• 18 Members
• 6 appointed by MFT
• 6 appointed by The Forum
• 6 appointed by the Office of Student Engagement
• MFT and the Forum members represented K-5, K-8,
  6-8, high school and Special Education

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The Task Force prepared a draft and then
solicited feedback from stakeholders. Feedback
was received through public meetings, written
surveys, e-mails and individual and small group
discussions.
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The draft was revised, based on the feedback and
was adopted by the Board of Education in June
2003.
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• The new policy and procedures strive to
• honor the necessary authority of the principal
• and provide support for the use of alternatives
• to suspension whenever possible.

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The policy and procedures emphasize

• The link between academic achievement and
  discipline, and the important role of quality
  instruction in both.
• The importance of relationship building and
  teaching expectations.
• The use of data for problem solving,
  accountability and continuous improvement

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• A Zero Indifference approach, meaning that we use
  a continuum of interventions for misbehavior.
  Misbehavior will always be responded to. And we
  have many responses available to us besides
  suspension.
• Building cultural competence and addressing
  institutional racism

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Roles and responsibilities are defined for

• Students
• Families
• Schools

• Teachers
• Principals
• District staff

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Some things remain the same.

• Reaffirms high behavior standards and
  expectations
• Does not reduce the number of days a principal
  can suspend a student for a particular offense

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Now comes the real work implementation

• Communicating clearly to all staff, students, and
  families
• Providing staff development so all staff have the
  knowledge, skills and support they need to
  implement the letter and intent of the new
  procedures.
• Reflecting on data regularly to assure that we
  are getting the outcomes we want, fairly and
  equitably for all students.

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Finally.

• while we acknowledge that many students
• come to school not knowing how to behave
• properly, we also know that all children can
• succeed and its educators responsibility to
• see that they do.
• This principle applies to teaching positive
  behavior
• as well as teaching academic subjects.