CHICAGO (WREX) � The Illinois State Board of Education and the attorney general's office announced the state’s first guidance for school districts to ensure that disciplinary policies do not violate civil rights laws.
The guidance is aimed in part at addressing the connection between exclusionary school discipline practices and increased rates of incarceration, often referred to as the school-to-prison pipeline.
 is a resource to ensure public K-12 schools and districts in Illinois meet their legal obligations under state and federal civil rights laws. Under the law, schools must administer student discipline policies without discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and other protected characteristics.
Officials are urging schools to reevaluate punitive and exclusionary disciplinary policies, which rely on suspensions or expulsions and disproportionately impact students of color, as well as students with disabilities and other marginalized students.
Officials recommend that schools take a trauma-informed approach to school discipline and prioritize equity for all students.
“Data shows that there is a connection between exclusionary school discipline policies and increased rates of incarceration. School districts have a responsibility to ensure that disciplinary policies and practices do not disproportionately impact students of color,� Raoul said. “Academic success should not depend on a student’s race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity or disability. I am proud to work with ISBE and look forward to partnering with the NEA to provide continued guidance that will help school districts craft equitable policies that give all students the opportunity to excel.�
Illinois law requires school boards and the governing bodies of charter schools to conduct annual reviews of discipline policies and their implementation. Raoul and ISBE are encouraging school boards to review disparities in discipline data and eliminate policies and practices associated with having a race-based disparate impact.
The guidance addresses discipline policies, such as those that rely on suspension and expulsions or those based on hair and dress codes, which disproportionately impact students of color. In addition, behavioral concerns have increased in some schools as students have faced personal trauma throughout the pandemic.
The guidance released by Raoul and ISBE highlights resources focused on evidence-based practices to help schools address behavioral challenges.
