Skip to main content
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact

Search form

American Institutes for Research

  • Our Work
    • Education
    • Health
    • International
    • Workforce
    • ALL TOPICS >
  • Our Services
    • Research and Evaluation
    • Technical Assistance
  • Our Experts
  • News & Events

You are here

  • Home
7 Feb 2017
In the Field

Reducing School Suspensions and Expulsions in Michigan

Image of student in classroomThe Michigan Department of Education faced a challenge: Statewide suspension rates were high, and discipline policies in many schools were in direct conflict with its priority of reducing barriers to learning. For example, Michigan school districts represented two of the 10 districts in the United States that suspended the most elementary students. The Department and stakeholders were also concerned about the disproportionate use of exclusion discipline (chiefly suspension and expulsion) against students of color.

In secondary schools, statewide suspension rates for black students were more than triple those for white students (28 percent vs. 8 percent), and schools even suspended 50 percent more black elementary students than white secondary students (12 percent vs. the 8 percent from above). Exclusion from school too often sets the stage for student disenfranchisement, academic failure, dropout, and potential criminalization—a school-to-prison pipeline.

Our Work

With support from the Great Lakes Comprehensive Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the Department formed the Michigan School Discipline Task Force in 2013. The Task Force included members of the Michigan Department of Education and other state-level departments, local school administrators, teachers, law enforcement and court officials, and community representatives.

The Task Force’s charge was to develop:

  • A model policy on reducing suspensions and expulsions using alternative discipline strategies
  • A revised model student code of conduct
  • A user-friendly online toolkit for schools and districts on how to implement the new policy and code

The Center supported the process every step of the way. Center experts reviewed and analyzed state and national suspension and expulsion data, researched suspension and expulsion policies in other states, and connected the Task Force with restorative justice and social-emotional learning experts. Through facilitation and planning, Center experts supported the Department in drafting and revising the models, enabling education leaders to make informed decisions and identify clear action steps.

Center experts drew on a body of research suggesting that alternative discipline policies like the restorative justice model improve the school environment and reduce schools’ reliance on detention and suspension. For example, a study of 19 schools throughout the United Kingdom found that restorative practices enhanced student learning. Another study of 18 schools in Scotland showed improved student perceptions of safety and respect. In the United States, three schools in Pennsylvania saw reduced disruptive behavior and disciplinary actions. And in a striking pilot study in Oakland, California, suspensions dropped from 30 percent of the student population down to 10 percent.

In addition to researching the evidence base, the Center team brought together key stakeholders to ensure that the new policy would include their experience and perspectives. Then, once the Task Force developed a draft policy, Center experts conducted focus groups to collect feedback from Department staff, teachers, principals, parents, students, and other stakeholders. While this work was underway, Center experts developed an online tool for gathering additional public comment on the drafts.

The Results

Approval and publication happened quickly: the Michigan State Board of Education approved the Model Policy on Reducing Student Suspensions and Expulsions in May 2014, and approved the revised Model Code of Student Conduct in August 2014. The related toolkit was also published online; it provides guidance to all Michigan schools on creating culture change and addressing behavioral concerns using non-exclusionary methods. The toolkit is available here: www.Michigan.gov/mdealternativestoolkit.

The policy and code were not legally mandated at first—under Michigan’s “local control” system, schools could choose to adopt any or all of the recommendations as they saw fit. But the message was clear: these new discipline approaches benefit all students. Many school leaders and school boards incorporated elements into local policies, seizing the chance to increase students’ social and emotional learning, improve school culture, and provide early substance-abuse interventions.

By April 2016, the state passed a school aid budget bill that reflected the new Model Policy—districts were required to reduce the number of expulsions and suspensions. If a district fails to lower these numbers, it will now forfeit part of its state funding, starting in the 2017–18 school year.

And in December 2016, the Michigan governor signed bipartisan legislation that further integrated the new approach into the state’s laws—Michigan schools must now consider several factors before suspending or expelling any student for any reason:

  • The student’s age and disciplinary history, and whether the student has a disability
  • The seriousness of the violation, and whether it threatened anyone’s safety
  • Whether a “lesser intervention” would “properly address” the behavior
  • Whether “restorative practices” will be used to address the behavior

The law also explicitly addresses the use of “restorative practices” in addressing bullying, and loosens Michigan’s previous “mandatory expulsion” requirements. When the law goes into effect in 2017–18, huge numbers of students across the state will be helped by the alternative disciplinary strategies now built into it.

The Task Force and the internal network of education experts it created have also led to additional activities. For example, GLCC developed a website for public feedback—anyone could post feedback and comment on other comments. The site was so successful that it is now being used for other Department initiatives.

Next Steps

The Michigan Department of Education and the Center team will focus on building state and district capacity to analyze existing discipline and attendance practices and policies, with a view toward increasing equality and bringing the policies in line with the new regulations. The partners will also continue to co-develop and co-host presentations on the new requirements and on how to take advantage of the online toolkit.

Reducing School Suspensions and Expulsions in Michigan (PDF)

Related Centers

Center

Great Lakes Comprehensive Center (GLCC)

The Great Lakes Comprehensive Center was one of 15 regional comprehensive centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education for the October 2012–September 2019 grant cycle of the Comprehensive Centers Program. The centers provided capacity-building technical assistance to state education agencies in their implementation and administration of programs authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, reauthorized in 2015 as the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Related Work

20 Dec 2017
Spotlight

comp-center-small-feature-image-lkb-12-29-17-small-feature.png

Image of teacher with young students

A Network of State Support for Educators

Through the national Comprehensive Centers Program and Regional Education Laboratories, AIR is building states’ capacity to support their districts and schools—and ultimately improve teaching and learning for all students, including special populations such as English learners and those with special needs.
Topic: 
Education
24 Jul 2015
Spotlight

exclusionary-discipline.jpg

teenager talks about exclusionary discipline

Exclusionary School Discipline

Recently experts from across the nation convened at the White House to discuss best practices that foster safe, supportive, and productive learning environments that keep kids in school and out of the juvenile justice system. A planning guide aimed at promoting positive school climates and ending disparities in administering student discipline, Addressing the Root Causes of Disparities in School Discipline, An Educator’s Guide, developed and written by AIR experts, was released at the event.
Topic: 
Social and Emotional Learning, Education, School Discipline
22 Jul 2015
Video

exclusionary-discipline.jpg

teenager talks about exclusionary discipline

Young People Speak Out About Exclusionary School Discipline

AIR experts David Osher and Sandra Williamson were at the White House this week speaking at the national convening to "Rethink School Discipline." In this video from an earlier event, we hear from students themselves.
Topic: 
Education, School Climate and Safety, School Discipline, Social and Emotional Learning, Juvenile Justice

Further Reading

  • Roundtable: The Perspectives of Youth Affected by Exclusionary School Discipline
  • Exclusionary School Discipline
  • ESSA │School Discipline
  • Zero Tolerance and Bias Reinforce the School-to-Prison Pipeline
  • Examining the Efficacy of Circles on School Safety and Student Outcomes in Boston Public Schools
Share

Topic

Education
School Discipline
Social and Emotional Learning

RESEARCH. EVALUATION. APPLICATION. IMPACT.

About Us

About AIR
Board of Directors
Leadership
Experts
Clients
Contracting with AIR
Contact Us

Our Work

Education
Health
International
Workforce

Client Services

Research and Evaluation
Technical Assistance

News & Events

Careers at AIR


Search form


 

Connecting

FacebookTwitterLinkedinYouTubeInstagram

American Institutes for Research

1400 Crystal Drive, 10th Floor
Arlington, VA 22202-3289
Call: (202) 403-5000
Fax: (202) 403-5000

Copyright © 2021 American Institutes for Research®.  All rights reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap