Research shows that exclusionary practices (any punishment that pulls a student out of the classroom) both harm student learning and disproportionately impact students of color. The most successful approach to equity includes reducing exclusionary practices to keep students in the classrooms and learning for as much of the day as possible. BCPS is working to minimize exclusion by implementing restorative practices that de-escalate conflict, repair relationships and help to prevent future challenges.
Data shows that setbacks are part of the process of creating cultural change, and provide key moments for learning. While the second year of the transformation saw progress,  that trend did not continue into the third year: In fall 2019, there were 815 out-of-school suspensions compared to 468 suspensions in fall 2018, and 3,741 total disciplinary incidents in the same period compared to 3,125 in fall 2018. Disciplinary data from 2020 onwards is less directly comparable because of the differences in instructional models during the pandemic that hit in spring 2020, though this may have offered an interesting lesson on school climate: in 2020-21, disciplinary incidents actually decreased at the elementary level — a change that many teachers attributed to pandemic-related instructional models, including cohorts and one-on-one engagement. Disciplinary incidents continued to fall in 2021-22, however, district staff and administration perceived that the pandemic created far more problems due to student trauma and the re-introduction to a full-time, in-person school schedule.