Disciplined and Disconnected: How Students Experience Exclusionary Discipline in Minnesota and the Promise of Non-Exclusionary Alternatives

Many teachers do not receive the support necessary to simultaneously teach and respond appropriately to challenging student behavior. The systems in place are often purely reactive and lack a preventative component to address challenging behavior. The Center for Promise examined exclusionary discipline in Minnesota by speaking with young people who had experienced it. Across all groups, participants explained how their experiences with disciplinary interventions led them to disconnect from school. Specifically, the interventions often did not address the root causes of their behavior, made them feel unvalued and unwelcome, and disrupted their learning. Participants expressed a desire to engage in school and succeed but overwhelmingly found that their schools' disciplinary practices inhibited their ability to do so. They wanted to go to school in a safe environment, be treated fairly, and experience care and support from school personnel. Often, however, they felt that discipline was inconsistent, they were negatively labeled based on their race and other factors, and they were not given the chance to explain their perspective or advocate for themselves. Their stories illuminate the need for improved culture and climate in their schools.