Positive Supports for Behavior and Discipline Resource Database

List of resources pertaining to restorative justice.

List of resources that relate to Trauma-informed care.

List of resources for Tiered academic and behavioral supports.

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has developed a voluntary State Correctional Education Self-Assessment (SCES) to assist States in self-assessing their systems for providing special education and related services to students with disabilities in correctional facilities. This self-assessment addresses some—but not all—the requirements of Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as they apply to States, State educational agencies (SEAs), and public agencies (including local educational agencies [LEAs] and responsible noneducational public agencies) in educating these students.

Youth with disabilities are disproportionately represented within correctional facilities, with nearly four times as many students requiring special education and related services in the adjudicated population versus the general population. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), youth with disabilities must be identified and receive the special education and related services for which they are eligible while they are incarcerated. Unfortunately, educational practices within correctional facilities often do not adhere to the practices mandated by IDEA, with less than half of youth with a diagnosed learning disability attending a special education program while in custody. It is critical that these youth receive the educational, social-emotional, behavioral, and career planning services for which they are eligible so that they can attain new skills and exit facilities prepared to live a more productive life. In what follows, we summarize the challenges and best practices for meeting the diverse educational needs of youth within correctional facilities.

This PDF contains data on suspension and expulsions and the use of seclusion and restraint across the nation and state-by-state. Data include information on preschools, and are disaggregated by race/ethnicity and disability status.This PDF contains data on suspension and expulsions and the use of seclusion and restraint across the nation and state-by-state.

On June 2, 2016 the Center for Civil Rights Remedies along with UCLA released the report: The High Cost of Harsh Discipline and Its Disparate Impact. This report builds on research that demonstrates that excessive school suspensions fail to improve school learning environments or enhance academic achievement. 

This Center was established by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to define, develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-tiered approach to Technical Assistance that improves the capacity of states, districts and schools to establish, scale-up and sustain the PBIS framework. Emphasis is given to the impact of implementing PBIS on the social, emotional and academic outcomes for students with disabilities.

During this presentation experts, including current OSEP grantees, discussed what we know about:

1. Determining the factors that drive high expectations, such as child, family and other stakeholder engagement;
2. How to support each child and family in establishing and meeting those expectations;
3. Working towards each child having access to an education that meets her or his unique and individual needs;
4. How high expectations relate to State academic content standards; and
5. Incorporating evidence-based practices in the IEP.

All of this will be presented in light of how these practices and principles relate to the United States Supreme Court in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District RE-1, commonly referred to as “Endrew F.”

There is a growing evidence base on the relationship between positive learning environments, child development, and academic achievement. OSEP’s second Symposium highlighted core principles relating to creating and maintaining safe and supportive learning environments and why and how States, districts, programs, and schools should consider integrating this work into their improvement plans. The Symposium included examples of aligning initiatives, funds, personnel preparation, evidence-based practices, and professional development in early childhood and K-12 settings. Information shared will be helpful for technical assistance providers, personnel development providers, and parents.

The OSEP Symposium on Significant Disproportionality explored why this is an important topic for all of us as we work to ensure that children with disabilities, regardless of race or ethnicity, are provided educational services and accommodations that enable and prepare them for post-school education and career opportunities. The Symposium presentations highlighted the key topics from a national perspective, framed the importance of this issue for all OSEP grantees, and provided some examples of practices and strategies that help address significant disproportionality. In addition to the live event, numerous resources related to significant disproportionality have been posted for participants to use as they prepared for the event and as resources to improve services and conditions for children with disabilities in States, districts, schools, and programs. Approximately one week after the live event, there will be additional opportunities for OSEP grantees to engage in further discussion.

This is a presentation given by Melissa Raspa and Cornelia Taylor of the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center during the Conference on Research Innovations in Early Intervention in San Diego, California on February 22, 2014. The ECO Center was funded to develop a set of family and child outcomes and to assist States in measuring and reporting outcomes to OSEP yearly. This presentation provides information on policy and research contexts and national outcome data.

The following materials include information for students and parents, and resources for education officials about their obligations to addressing significant disproportionality and equity, and added resources and centers with related information.