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Federal Policy 

Federal government policy statements and resources on school discipline, plus news about federal government actions and civil rights enforcement.

Gateways to Federal Resources 

Key Federal Policy Statements 

Related Resources

Federal Data Summaries

Trump Administration Education Polices

Gateways to Federal Resources

• Federal Resources on School Climate and Discipline, U.S. Departments of Education and Justice gateway to resources, including policy and legal guidance statements, discipline data, webinars, and resources for school decision-makers.

• Reducing Suspension and Expulsion Practices in Early Childhood Settings, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services gateway to resources, policies, research, and best practices

Key Federal Policy Statements​

• Beyond Suspensions: Examining School Discipline Policies and Connections to the School-to-Prison Pipeline for Students of Color with Disabilities, US Commission on Civil Rights, July 2019

• Update on Judicial Decision Regarding Significant Disproportionality, US Department of Education, April 4, 2019

• US Education Department Postpones Implementation of the "Equity in IDEA" or "Significant Disproportionality" Regulations, Federal Register, July 3, 2018

• ​Questions and Answers (Q&A) on U. S. Supreme Court Case Decision Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District Re-1 (Free Appropriate Public Education), US Department of Education, December 7, 2017

• The Parent and Educator Resource Guide to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, US Department of Education, December 2016

• "Dear Colleague" Letter and Fact Sheet  on the Use of Restraint or Seclusion on Students with Disabilities, US Department of Education, December 2016

• "Dear Colleague" Letter on the Rights of Students with Disabilities in Public Charter Schools under Section 504 and IDEA, US Department of Education, December 28, 2016

• Dear Colleague Letter: Preventing Racial Discrimination in Special Education, US Department of Education, December 12, 2016

• Fact Sheet: Equity in IDEA (and Federal Regulations on "Significant Disproportionailty" in the Identification, Placement, and Discipline of Students with Disabilities Based on Race or Ethnicity), US Department of Education, December 12, 2016

• Resources for Schools, Colleges to Ensure Appropriate Use of School Resource Officers and Campus Police, September 8, 2016

• Supporting Behavior of Students with Disabilities, August 1, 2016

• Know Your Rights: Students with ADHD, U.S. Department of Education, July 2016

• Dear Colleague Letter on the Nondiscriminatory Administration of School Discipline, January 8, 2014

• Dear Colleague Letter from Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education – Charter Schools, May 14, 2014

• Correctional Education in Juvenile Justice Facilities, U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, December 14, 2014

• Policy Statement on Expulsion and Suspension Policies in Early Childhood Settings, U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education, December 10, 2014

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Related Resources

• K-12 Education: Education Should Take Immediate Action to Address Inaccuracies in Federal Seclusion and Restraint Data, US Government Accountability Office, June 2019

• The Haunting Reality of Discrimination in School Discipline Education Week, July 29, 2019

• Examining State and Federal Recommendations for Enhancing School Safety Against Targeted Violence, Child Trends, July 25, 2019

• Protecting Students' Civil Rights: The Federal Role in School Discipline,Learning Policy Institute, May 1, 2019

• Parent and Educator Guide to School Climate Resources, US Education Department, April 10, 2019

• A Transition Guide to Post-secondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities, US Department of Education, January 17, 2017

• Obama White House: The Continuing Need To Rethink Discipline, White House Executive Office of the President, December 2016

• Corporal Punishment: Letter from the U.S. Secretary of Education to Governors and Chief State School Officers, November 22, 2016

• State and Local Action to Prevent Expulsion and Suspension in Early Learning Settings: Spotlighting Progress in Policy and Supports, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, November 2016

• Resource Guide for Superintendent Action [Note: very large document], U.S. Department of Education, July 2015

• Addressing the Root Causes of Disparities in School Discipline: An Educator’s Action Planning Guide, produced by American Institutes for Research for the U.S. Department of Education, July 2015

• School Civil Rights Took Spotlight Under Obama, Education Week, May 31, 2016

• Guiding Principles: A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline, January 2014

• Can We Fix the Race Problem in America's School Discipline?, Rolling Stone, January 24, 2014

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Federal Data Summaries

• Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics, August 2019 

• 2015-16 Civil Rights Data Collection: School Climate and Safety, US Department of Education, April 2018

• Civil Rights Data Show More Work is Needed to Reduce Inequities in K- 12 Schools, Obama White House Council of Economic Advisers, December 9, 2016 

• 2013-14 Civil Rights Data Collection: A First Look: Key Data Highlights on Equity and Opportunity Gaps in Our Nation’s Public Schools, U.S. Department of Education, updated October 28, 2016

• Civil Rights Data Collection Data Snapshots: School Discipline, U.S. Department of Education, March 2014

• Civil Rights Data Collection Data Snapshots: Early Childhood Education, U.S. Department of Education, March 2014

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Trump Administration Education Policies

• Key Changes Would Alter The Government's Massive Survey On Schools And Civil Rights, National Public Radio, October 19, 2019

• Secretary DeVos is Failing to Protect the Civil Rights of LGBTQ Students Center for American Progress, August 2019

• Betsy DeVos Shows Her True Colors with Effort to Block Help for Disabled Students Alternet, July 11, 2019

• The Special Olympics Are Safe, But What about Other Programs DeVos Would Cut?, The Hill, April 15, 2019

• Study Contradicts Betsy Betsy DeVos' Reason for Eliminating School Discipline Guidance, U.S. News & World Report, January 4, 2019

• Trump Administration Recommends Slashing Civil Rights Protections for Students of Color, ACLU, December 19, 2018

• Seven Big Takeaways From Trump Commission's School Safety Report, Education Week, December 18, 2018

• Trump Administration Limits Civil Rights Protections for Children and Youth of Color, Civil Rights Roundtable, November 15, 2018

• DeVos’ Inspector General to Audit Dismissals of Civil Rights Complaints, ProPublica, November 29, 2018

• How Do You Enforce Civil Rights? Under Betsy DeVos, a Stark Shift in Approach, The Washington Post, July 30, 2018​

• COPAA Challenges Secretary Devos’s Decision to Delay Implementation of Equity in Idea Regulation, COPAA, July 12, 2018

• On July 4th Eve, Jeff Sessions Quietly Rescinds a Bunch of Protections for Minorities, Law and Crime, July 3, 2018

• Has Your School Been Investigated for Civil Rights Violations? ProPublica, June 21, 2018

• DeVos Has Scuttled More Than 1,200 Civil Rights Probes Inherited From Obama, ProPublica, June 21, 2018

• School Discipline Regulations Are Eminently Reasonable, Real Clear Education, June 19, 2018

• School Safety Panel Will Not Look at Guns, DeVos Says, AP, June 5, 2018

• Federal Guidance on School Discipline Shouldn't Be a Partisan Issue; It Should Be Common Sense, Education Law Pro Blog, May 3, 2018

• Trump Directive Spurs Proposal To Delay IDEA Rule, Disability Scoop, February 27, 2018

• Keep Guidelines in Place that Work to Ensure Fair Discipline for Black, Brown Students, USA Today, January 6, 2018

• School Discipline Debate Central to Hearing for Trump Civil Rights Nominee, Education Week, December 5, 2017

• As the Education Department Strips Away Civil Rights Protections, New Coalition Aims to Fight for Students, The Intercept, November 10, 2017

• DeVos Mulled Delay of Obama Special Ed Rule (on race and disability), POLITICO, October 26, 2017

• Will Betsy DeVos Change Course on Racial Disparities in School Discipline?, Education Week, October 16, 2017

• DeVos' Actions on Title IX and Sexual Assault Could Affect K-12 Schools, Too , Education Week, September 7, 2017

• Trump Stance on Civil Rights Is 'Distressing and Dangerous,' Obama Official Says, Education Week, July 20, 2017

• Local Advocates Brace for Changes in Federal Education Civil Rights Policy, Philadelphia Public School Notebook, July 17, 2017

• Betsy DeVos Tells a Top Critic: Obama Civil Rights Approach 'Harmed Students', Education Week, July 16, 2017

• Another Sign of Retreat on Civil Rights, New York Times, June 28, 2017

• Education Dept. Says It Will Scale Back Civil Rights Investigations, New York Times, June 16, 2017 

• Trump Administration Plans to Minimize Civil Rights Efforts in Agencies, Washington Post, May 29, 2017

• School Discipline in a Post-Obama World,The Atlantic, December 20, 2016

• Civil Rights Groups Wary on Federal Enforcement Stance Under Trump, Education Week, November 23, 2016

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