What proactive practices can best promote a positive school climate?

Educational leaders are seeking ways to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline practices like out-of-school suspensions (OSS) and expulsions. These practices are associated with negative academic and life outcomes, are ineffective at reducing misbehavior, and are disproportionately applied to students of color and special education students. Finding better approaches to discipline is part of a broader goal of improving school climate. School climate is a concept that includes the quality of teaching and learning, community relationships, and organizational features of a school environment. Preventing misbehavior would likely improve school climate more than changing the school’s response after misbehavior occurs.