The Impact of Exclusionary School Discipline Policies and an Analysis of Alternative Approaches to Punishment

This report evaluates out-of-school suspension (OSS) in the context of the Clarksdale Municipal School District (CMSD) using research based in positive behavioral systems and alternative approaches to exclusionary punishment. Not only does OSS detrimentally impact suspended students hindering their learning and increasing their risk harmful behaviors, but OSS also has harmful collateral effects on the larger student body, the economy, public safety, and society. This report aims to identify particular problems associated with OSS as well as offer solutions, specifically examining Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) through a local school case study, discussing effective teacher training for these types of disciplinary programs, and offering forms of alternative punishments that CMSD could consider implementing. While these strategies were designed specifically with CMSD’s conditions in mind, they can be adapted for other schools working to reduce their OSS rates