Avoid Simple Solutions and Quick Fixes: Lessons Learned From a Comprehensive Districtwide Approach to Improving Student Behavior and School Safety

We examine the effects of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s (CMSD) districtwide efforts to improve school safety, order, and conditions for learning. These approaches include implementing (1) a social and emotional learning program for elementary students (PATHS); (2) a planning model for students exhibiting academic or nonacademic needs (student support teams); and (3) a learner-centered approach to discipline (planning centers). We found that improved conditions for learning as well as student support interventions can foster safer, more productive schools. Suspension and expulsion rates decreased, but racial/ethnic disparities remained. Implementation quality also mediated outcomes. Transforming conditions contributing to exclusionary discipline often requires a sustained effort that should begin with an understanding that a culture of change, unlike “quick fixes” (e.g., metal detectors), requires time to engage stakeholders, cultivate their buy-in, and develop and implement an effective plan. We conclude with six recommendations addressing conditions for learning, student supports, and disciplinary disparities