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Equipping Leaders

TSDC'S Toolkit
for Transformation

 

TSDC'S TOOLKIT FOR TRANSFORMATION

This toolkit is designed to give practitioners guidance, strategies and models that will support their work to change school policies and practices around student discipline. This work is ongoing. Visit again soon for updates and contact us to share ideas of your own. 

NEW TSDC RESOURCES FOR 2020 include:

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REMOTE AND BLENDED LEARNING DURING COVID-19

The Newest Component to the TSDC Toolkit for School Transformation

The Toolkit for Transforming School Discipline in Remote and Blended Learning During COVID-19 offers tools and suggestions to help guide Illinois school administrators, educators, and staff in creating a positive and supportive school climate and addressing challenging student behaviors in remote and blended learning environments during the COVID-19 crisis.

Toolkit for Transforming School Discipline in Remote and Blended Learning During COVID-19

Executive Summary


DISTRICT SPOTLIGHTS

The District Spotlight is a recurring feature in the Transforming School Discipline Collaborative (TSDC) quarterly newsletter that highlights the work of school leaders to improve discipline practices. Below are video excerpts from our conversations.

Oswego Community Unit School District 308: A Conversation with Title I Restorative Justice Coordinator Matt Epperley (Spring 2019)

East Maine School District 63: A Conversation With Dr. Scott Clay & Dr. Shawn Schleizer (Spring 2018)


TSDC ADMINISTRATOR GUIDES

TSDC has created administrator guides specifically designed as primers. These guides provide foundation knowledge on various topics, highlight examples of school-based practices and offer additional resources.

 


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TSDC'S MODEL CODE OF CONDUCT

TSDC's Model Code of Conduct (Model Code) is offered as a best practice of how school administrators can develop a student code of conduct that (1) is compliant with recent changes to Illinois law (see Public Act 98-1102 and Public Act 99-0456) and (2) advances the goal of fairness and equity in the discipline process.

In some places, the Model Code goes beyond the strict requirements of current law to encompass the intent behind legislative reforms. Reducing the use of exclusionary school discipline requires a fundamental shift in school climate. Therefore, the Model Code embraces prevention-oriented policies coupled with a student-centered approach. Our strategies are designed to keep students in school, fully engaged and on track to graduate.

This Code is not intended to be adopted in isolation from other necessary school culture changes. Schools are encouraged to continue developing practices to prevent school violence and build a positive school climate. Examples of such practices include developing an inclusive and supportive curriculum, providing effective and culturally-relevant behavior supports, implementing restorative practices, offering classroom consultation and support, providing ongoing professional development and examining the role of implicit biases in the classroom and school community. We recognize that this is a challenging and ongoing process. 

We hope that this model code supports your efforts as we all continue to make sure that our schools provide the very best education to all students in Illinois.

 

Download the Code of Conduct Below:

TSDC'S MODEL CODE OF CONDUCT

Working on making changes to your student code of conduct? Use this TEMPLATE version of the Model Code of Conduct to help you get started. 

TSDC'S SELF-ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

This checklist details PA 99-0546's (aka SB100) new requirements, along with providing “Implementation Tips” that your district can utilize when working to implement the Act.

 



ADDITIONAL ARTICLES

A Content Analysis of Catholic School Written Discipline Policies  Daniel L. Philippe, Claudia M. Hernandez-Melis, Pamela A. Fenning, Ph.D., Katie N.B. Sears, and Emily M. McDonough - Journal of Catholic Education -  October, 2017

Developing Prevention-Oriented Discipline Codes of Conduct - Pamela A. Fenning, Ph.D. and Miranda B. Johnson, J.D., M.P.A. - Children's Legal Rights Journal - 2015

Ecologies of School Discipline for Queer Youth: What Listening to Queer Youth Teaches Us About Transforming School Discipline - L Boyd Bellinger, Nicole Darcangelo, Stacey S. Horn, Erica R. Meiners, and Sarah Schriber, in Inequality in School Discipline - 2016

Why are we criminalizing behavior of children with disabilities? - Miranda B. Johnson, J.D., M.P.A. - The Washington Post - April, 2017

Supporting Policy and Practice to Address Implicit Bias in Discipline - Pamela A. Fenning and Miranda B. Johnson, in Implicit Bias in Schools:  A Practitioner’s Guide, by Gina Laura Gullo, Kelly Capatosto, Cheryl Staats - 2019