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Data about school discipline is often lacking or inconsistent in many states⁠, making it difficult for stakeholders to effectively monitor school discipline practices and related student outcomes.

This policy brief presents five key steps that state education agencies (SEAs) can take to improve how they collect, publicly report, and use school discipline data:

• Meet all federal requirements for the collection, public reporting, and use of school discipline data
• Incorporate measures of disproportionality in school discipline into state accountability systems
• Build the capacity of districts and schools to collect, analyze, and use school discipline data effectively
• Take steps allowable under state law to expand the SEA’s collection, reporting, and use of school discipline data beyond federal requirements
• Collaborate with stakeholders and leaders in other state and local agencies to improve the collection and use of data to inform policy and practice

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