Discipline & IDEA

School administrators are implementing IDEA '97, including the discipline procedures. Yet, they are concerned about how to do this and maintain safety in their schools at the same time.

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the U. S. Department of Education has sponsored research and technical assistance to help schools learn what works to create safe, effective learning environments for all children. A new report, Prevention Research & the IDEA Discipline Provisions: A Guide for School Administrators, outlines research-based techniques that work.

Successful schools provide behavior support to all students. Schools that implement schoolwide positive behavior supports report 20-60% reductions in office discipline referrals. They also report that students spend more time actively engaged in academics and achieve more. Schools almost double their success rate when they use behavior interventions that are based on prior functional assessments.

For more information visit www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/index.html.