Positive and effective school discipline is critical to promoting students' successful learning and well-being. This guidance from NASP provides an evidence-based framework for effective school discipline policies and practices that:
School psychologists play an integral role in the collaborative process that includes developing a shared understanding of the key components of effective discipline, the benefits of effective practices, consequences of punitive discipline, and specific steps schools can take to implement effective approaches. This document outlines these key practices and offers federal, state, and local policy recommendations to promote equitable and effective discipline and to reduce the use of suspension, expulsion, and other exclusionary discipline practices, particularly those that disproportionately impact students of color.
NASP References & ResourcesNational Association of School Psychologists. (NASP; 2016). Integrated Model of Academic and Behavioral Supports [Position statement]. Bethesda, MD: Author.
National Association of School Psychologists (NASP; 2018). Understanding Race and Privilege [handout]. Bethesda, MD: Author.
External References & ResourcesCook, Clayton R., Coco, S., Zhang, Y., Fiat, A., Duong, M.T., Renshaw, T.C., Long, A.C., & Frank, S. (2018) Cultivating Positive Teacher-Student Relationships: Preliminary Evaluation of the Establish-Maintain-Restore (EMR) Method. School Psychology Review: September 2018, Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 226-243.
Gregory, A., Huang, F. L., Anyon, Y., Greer, E., & Downing, B. (2018). An examination of restorative interventions and racial equity in out-of-school suspensions. School Psychology Review, 47(2), 167-182.
Contact InformationKelly Vaillancourt Strobach, Director of Policy & Advocacy, kvaillancourt@naspweb.org
Kathy Cowan, Director of Communications, kcowan@naspweb.org
