The Problem

Texas Appleseed’s School Discipline Lab is focused on improving school discipline policies throughout the state. We are committed to eliminating harmful practices in two main areas: classroom removals and interactions with law enforcement.

Classroom Removals

When students are pushed out of class they miss the important learning and socializing time that happens in their regular classrooms. This makes a lot of students feel like they are behind with their work and that catching up is impossible. It can also make students feel that they are different and “bad,” compared to their peers.

"The Problem" Infographic1

Being excluded from class, even one time, makes it more likely that students will be held back, that they won’t graduate on time, and that they will have contact with the juvenile justice system and the adult criminal justice system in the future.

"The Problem" Infographic2

Only certain behaviors that threaten school safety require extreme punishments such as mandatory removals, police involvement, or court referrals. These behaviors are outlined in the Texas Education Code. However, teachers and school administrators have the option to punish relatively minor student misbehaviors using discretionary removals. These punishments are called discretionary because school administrators and teachers are choosing to address student behavior severely, rather than using more effective positive interventions.

Mandatory Removals Examples	Discretionary Removals Examples
Possession of marijuana, a controlled substance, or a dangerous drug. Public lewdness and indecent exposure. Possession of a firearm that is capable of propelling a projectile or causing injury. Making bomb threats	Laughing out loud continuously Intentionally dropping a book on the floor to make a loud noise Using profanity more than two times Dress code violations

Police and Courts

Involving police officers and courts to address relatively minor school-based offenses results in the inappropriate criminalization of children. This system is particularly problematic when police officers

are untrained,
their duties are not clearly limited, and
there is little oversight and accountability

Research shows that using exclusionary discipline, police, and courts to address relatively minor student behaviors is harmful for students, destabilizes the entire classroom environment, and is ultimately ineffective.

Through this site you can learn more about:

Supporting students, parents, community organizations, and school districts who are seeking to make positive changes to student discipline policies in their districts.
Encouraging school districts to adopt evidence-based discipline methods and training policies for their teachers, staff, and school police officers.
Eliminating the use of classroom removals for elementary school children.
Collecting data and stories to paint a fuller picture of the state of the school-to-prison pipeline in Texas.
Examining and combating the underlying causes of disparities in school discipline.

Please contact us to learn more about our project and how you can help to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline in your community!

_{U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, Policy Statement on Expulsion and Suspension Policies in Early Childhood Settings, 2014.}
_{See American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force, Are Zero Tolerance Policies Effective in Schools?: An Evidentiary Review and Recommendations, American Psychologist, 854, Dec. 2008}