Keeping children safe and in an environment conducive to learning in U.S. public schools is an ongoing national issue of concern. Zerotolerance (ZT) policies enacted (1989,1994) take a harsh, punitive stance against drugs and guns. In contrast are community-based schools which use Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), Restorative Justice (RJ), and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). This study aims to determine if exclusionary ZT policies are effective, what impact they have on school climate, and if there are unintended consequences related to these strict policies, such as criminalizing minor misbehaviours and the school-to-prison pipeline (STPP).
Additionally, this project will contrast findings from community based and traditional public schools’ disciplinary practices to ascertain which policies most benefit school children and prepare them to become happy, healthy, productive members of society.
Due to the limitations imposed by the COVID pandemic, this project is based upon a narrative, historical analysis of published secondary data consisting of legislation, legal opinions, academic articles, books, newspaper articles, and government statistics.
Analysis of the data led to empirical evidence linking the exclusionary policies of ZT to the STPP, although not necessarily in a straight line.
There is limited data regarding community-based schools and some controversy regarding teaching Emotional Intelligence (EI) in schools.
However, the available information indicates that these community-based schools may be more successful in helping children become capable, healthy, and productive adults. Additionally, federal legislation funding these innovative learning initiatives is vast.
