School Discipline Laws & Regulations by Category

School Discipline Laws & Regulations by Category

1. Click on the major categories below to view and select the law and regulation subcategory of interest.
2. You will then be asked to select one or more state or jurisdiction of interest.

Hover your cursor over the question mark for definitions for each subcategory. Hover over note numbers for content of notes. See also Notes section at bottom of the page.

Codes of Conduct

• Authority to Develop and Establish Codes of Conduct
• Scope
• Communication of Policy

In-School Discipline

• Discipline Frameworks
• Teacher Authority to Remove Students From Classrooms
• Alternatives to Suspension

Conditions on Use of Certain Forms of Discipline

• Corporal Punishment
• Search and Seizure
• Restraint and Seclusion¹

Exclusionary Discipline: Suspension, Expulsion, and Alternative Placement

• Grounds for Suspension or Expulsion
• Limitations or Conditions on Exclusionary Discipline
• Due Process
• Return to school following removal
• Alternative placements

Discipline Addressing Specific Code of Conduct Violations

• Firearms and Other Weapons Violations ²
• Students with Chronic Disciplinary Issues
• Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy
• Substance Use
• Gang-related Activity
• Bullying, Harassment, or Hazing
• Dating and Relationship Violence

Prevention, Behavioral Interventions, and Supports

• State Model Policies and Implementation Support
• Multi-tiered Frameworks and Systems of Support
• Prevention
• Social-emotional Learning (SEL)
• Trauma-informed Practices
• Mental Health Literacy Training
• School-based Behavioral Health Programs

Monitoring and Accountability

• Formal Incident Reporting of Conduct Violations
• Parental Notification
• Data Collection, Review, and Reporting of Discipline Policies and Actions

Partnerships between Schools and Law Enforcement

• Referrals to Law Enforcement
• School Resource Officer (SRO) or School Security Officer (SSO) Training or Certification
• Authorizations, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), and/or Funding
• Threat Assessment Protocols

Notes

¹ The U.S. Department of Education has provided a Resource Document on the use of seclusion and restraint in schools. This document is available at: www.ed.gov/policy/restraintseclusion.

² The Federal Gun-Free Schools Act requires that each State receiving Federal education funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. § 7151) must have in place a law that requires local school districts to expel, for at least one year, any student who brings a firearm to, or possesses a firearm at, a school, unless the local school district’s chief administering officer modifies that sanction in writing, on a case-by-case basis. See ESEA § 4141(b)(1) (20 U.S.C. § 7151(b)(1)); see also Guidance Concerning State and Local Responsibilities Under the Gun-Free Schools Act, U.S. Dep’t of Educ., Jan. 2004 available at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/gfsa.html.