Settlement Agreement between U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights and Oakland Unified School District

Addressed the civil rights investigation into whether African American students were disciplined more frequently and harshly than white students in the Oakland Unified School District. The agreement includes ways that the District will:

• Ensure that misbehavior is addressed in a manner that does not require removal from school, collaborate with experts in research-based strategies that develop positive school climates by preventing discrimination in the implementation of school discipline; 
• Identify at-risk students and provide them with support services in order to decrease behavioral difficulties, and continue to provide academic services for students who are removed from school for disciplinary reasons.  It also requires the district to review and revise its disciplinary policies, train staff and administrators on its discipline policies, and develop and implement programs for students, parents and guardians that will explain the District's discipline policies and behavioral expectations and that will inform parents and guardians of their right to raise concerns and file complaints concerning discipline.
• Conduct an annual survey of students, staff, community members and parents regarding discipline.
• Improve its discipline data collection system in order to evaluate discipline policies and practices, with the goal of replicating "best practices" throughout the District.