Vicki Nishioka
Associated IES Content
Blog
Improving Racial Equity in School Discipline through Culturally Responsive SEL
State-level policy reforms can help school and district leaders improve school discipline practices by shifting the focus away from punishment and toward building students' social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Building adult capacity to teach, model, and coach SEL skills throughout the school day promotes stronger teacher-student relationships, student engagement, and better classroom management that prevents school discipline problems.1 However, policy reforms may not achieve their i...
Date published:
Apr 24, 2021
resource
Fact Sheet/Infographic/FAQ
Sent to the Office
In a recent study, Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northwest examined whether K-5 Oregon students who were sent to the school office were more likely to receive exclusionary discipline--and were therefore less likely to receive nonexclusionary discipline--after the 2015 policy reform.
Feb 01, 2021
report
Descriptive Study
Changes in Exclusionary and Nonexclusionary Discipline in Grades K-5 Following State Policy Reform in Oregon
Racial equity is a high priority in Oregon, which along with many other states has enacted reforms in the past decade to improve racial equity in school discipline practices. One common approach has been to focus on reducing the use of exclusionary discipline, which removes students from classroom instruction. In 2015 the Oregon legislature limited the use of exclusionary discipline for students in grades K-5 to situations that pose a direct threat to the safety of other students and adults. ...
Feb 01, 2021
Blog
Taking a Closer Look at Exclusionary Discipline in Oregon Schools After Policy Reform Implementation
A recent REL Northwest study found that state policy reforms in 2013 and 2015 were associated with reductions in suspensions and expulsions, known as exclusionary discipline, in Oregon schools for grades K-12. However, these associations differed by grade band (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12), type of exclusionary discipline, and behavioral infraction-and the reductions were often short term. Policymakers have made reducing exclusionary discipline a state priority because of its association with many poo...
Date published:
Jan 12, 2021
resource
Fact Sheet/Infographic/FAQ
Are State Policy Reforms in Oregon Associated with Fewer School Suspensions and Expulsions?
This infographic visually depicts the REL Northwest study that examined the association between Oregon's 2013 and 2015 policy reforms and changes in exclusionary discipline in grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12.
Jan 01, 2021
report
Descriptive Study
Are State Policy Reforms in Oregon Associated with Fewer School Suspensions and Expulsions?
In 2013 and 2015 Oregon enacted legislation that shifted school discipline policies from a zero-tolerance approach to one that emphasizes preventing behavioral problems and reducing unnecessary suspensions and expulsions. Suspensions and expulsions are often referred to as exclusionary discipline because they remove students from classroom instruction. This study examined the association between state-level policy reforms and suspension and expulsion rates for grades K-12 in Oregon public sch...
Sep 01, 2020
Blog
Ways to Create Welcoming, Bully-free Online Learning Environments
Given our current educational reality, many students are spending a lot more time online with varying levels of adult supervision--a situation that emphasizes the need to prevent cyberbullying and ensure students who are targets of bullying get help. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, most students believed cyberbullying was a major problem; in a recent Pew Research Center survey, 59 percent of teenagers reported being bullied or harassed online. They also believed teachers, social media, a...
Date published:
Jun 10, 2020
resource
Fact Sheet/Infographic/FAQ
School Safety for Parents and Caregivers
Everyone learns and does their best work when they feel safe, respected, and welcome in school (Cote-Lussier & Fitzpatrick, 2016). The purpose of this activity was to develop a collection of three infographics with resources for teachers, caretakers, and students on what to do to ensure the physical and psychological safety of students.
Jan 15, 2020
resource
Fact Sheet/Infographic/FAQ
School Safety for Educators
Everyone learns and does their best work when they feel safe, respected, and welcome in school (Cote-Lussier & Fitzpatrick, 2016). The purpose of this activity was to develop a collection of three infographics with resources for teachers, caretakers, and students on what to do to ensure the physical and psychological safety of students.
Jan 15, 2020
resource
Fact Sheet/Infographic/FAQ
School Safety for Students
Everyone learns and does their best work when they feel safe, respected, and welcome in school (Cote-Lussier & Fitzpatrick, 2016). The purpose of this activity was to develop a collection of three infographics with resources for teachers, caretakers, and students on what to do to ensure the physical and psychological safety of students.
Jan 15, 2020
Blog
Promoting a Positive School Environment for All Students
Positive discipline approaches help students learn--and practice--social and emotional skills, develop healthy relationships with peers and adults, and resolve disagreements in socially acceptable ways. Although exclusionary discipline plays an important role in maintaining school safety, we now know suspending or expelling students for nonviolent behaviors (such as truancy, failure to follow directions, or disrespect) removes them from important learning opportunities. Building a Positive...
Date published:
Jul 18, 2019
resource
Training Material
Using Data to Promote Equity in School Discipline
REL Northwest developed this training series to help schools and districts improve their school discipline policies and practices. The series provides resources to help school and district teams use data to identify areas of concern related to the overuse of exclusionary discipline or disproportionality in assigning discipline to student groups, such as students of color or students with disabilities. The training series also helps teams use evidence to identify interventions, develop an acti...
Apr 18, 2019
Blog
Building Connections with Students from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds Through Perspective-taking
In the classroom and elsewhere, we interpret what others say and do through our own experiences, values, and beliefs—as well as our knowledge of the other person or people. For educators, communicating and having a shared understanding of social and behavioral expectations with students from cultural backgrounds similar to our own is pretty straightforward. However, if we don't know students well, cultural differences can contribute to misunderstandings that lead to feelings of disres...
Date published:
May 11, 2018
resource
Video
Strengthening Relationships with Students from Diverse Backgrounds
At North Salem High School, one of the most diverse high schools in Oregon, teachers and school leaders have made building positive relationships with students a school priority. In this video by REL Northwest, two teachers share successful strategies they have used to connect to students and build authentic relationships.
May 03, 2018
Blog
Preparing Children to Thrive: Supporting Early Learning Systems and Stakeholders in Oregon
Just as a house needs a solid foundation, children's early learning experiences lay the groundwork for their future success in school and in life. With this in mind, Oregon has made it a state priority to build a coordinated, connected, and outcomes-focused early learning system. In 2013, the Oregon State Legislature formed the Early Learning Division (ELD) within the state education agency to bring its early learning programs under one roof. As a first step, state leaders identified the n...
Date published:
Nov 28, 2017
Blog
Having Conversations, Building Capacity: A Snapshot of a Successful Research-Practice Partnership in Oregon
Collaborative. Focused. A forum for policy and practice. These all describe the research-practice partnership between REL Northwest and the Oregon Leadership Network (OLN) alliance. However, one of the most fitting adjectives is actionable--the work we did together had real-world applications that are still having a positive impact. Our partnership started with shared concern about the disproportionate and overuse of exclusionary discipline in Oregon schools, as well as the desire to br...
Date published:
Oct 17, 2017
resource
Other Resource
School discipline data indicators: A guide for districts and schools
This guide is designed to supply educators with a means to identify whether racial/ethnic disproportionality in discipline practice exists in their schools or districts. It also aims to help educators use data to reduce racial/ethnic disproportionality in suspensions and expulsions. The guide is organized into two sections. The first section provides information on how to select, analyze, and interpret data indicators to determine whether disproportionate discipline practices exist and, if an...
Apr 01, 2017
report
Descriptive Study
Suspension and Expulsion Patterns in Six Oregon School Districts
This Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northwest study identifies how frequently students in six selected urban districts received exclusionary discipline during the 2011/12 school year, the most common reasons for such discipline, the percentage of students receiving multiple suspensions, and how many school days students lost to suspensions. The study also examined the application of exclusionary discipline at different grade spans and by student gender, race/ethnicity, and special educ...
May 01, 2014
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