AWSP Blog

While not completely accurate, this headline reflects the feeling of many principals Washington grappling with changes to state laws for suspensions and expulsion. To be clear, schools can still use exclusion as a tool, but the new discipline rules put a significant squeeze on when and how it is applied.

It is abundantly clear implementing PBIS with fidelity throughout all facets of the system (district office, schools, classrooms, transportation, food service etc.) results in unprecedented changes in the culture, systems and learning of any school-community. PBIS is a tool designed to create equity-centered proactive systems for monitoring and responding to the needs of students and, importantly, the needs of adults...and this is where the conversation tends to get tricky.

I’m in trouble...I’m not in trouble...am I in trouble? Confused? After two years of writing and revising, OSPI finally adopted new state rules (WACs) for student discipline. The rules describe how school administrators discipline students, communicate with parents, and provide guidance and due process expectations for suspended or expelled students.