Inclusive and Supportive Strategies for Schools as They Reopen
The intense focus of schools on health and safety priorities related to preventing the spread of COVID-19 has led to additional rules and substantial changes in procedure, such as mask-wearing and physical distancing. As many students return to schools, they are returning to an environment that has changed substantially over the last several months, including new rules, practices, and norms.
Children vary in their ability to quickly and effectively adjust to such changes, and children with pre-existing behavioral health conditions and other disabilities may be at particularly high risk for adjustment difficulties. Best practice discipline strategies are needed to implement and enforce new rules and expectations in a way that adheres to important health and safety guidelines, but protects against increased risk of exclusionary discipline such as suspensions, expulsions, and arrests, which would further remove students from the academic environment and disrupt learning and development.
This issue brief guides schools and districts for addressing school discipline across virtual, in-person, and hybrid settings in an inclusive and supportive manner to keep students physically and emotionally healthy during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
This Issue Brief was prepared by Jeana Bracey, PhD, Associate Vice President of School and Community Initiatives. For more information, contact Dr. Bracey.