Resource
Testimony: State of School Discipline: 2015-2016 School Year
Policy Analyst Michael Villafranca testified before the DC Council’s Committee on Education regarding the “State of School Discipline: 2015-2016 School Year.” At the end of last year, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) released a report on the state of suspensions and expulsion in the District based on School Year 2015-2016 data submitted by local education agencies (LEAs) and community-based organizations.
Michael’s testimony focused on discussing the harmful effect of exclusionary discipline practices and the disproportionate impact it has on certain student populations. He also provided the Committee recommendations to address this issue, including:
- Limiting the behaviors that can serve as grounds for suspension;
- Providing funding for schools to implement alternatives to exclusionary discipline; and
- Defining exclusionary discipline practices in statute.
Click below to read his full testimony.