Journalism has been essential to documenting the school-to-prison pipeline — from local reporting on how discipline rules play out in specific districts to national investigative work that exposed zero-tolerance policies as ineffective and racially discriminatory. This page collects key reporting and analysis, with Washington coverage listed first.
Updated WA Discipline Rules — Local Coverage (June 2025)
When Washington’s updated WAC 392-400 discipline rules took effect in July 2025, local outlets covered the changes and district responses. One of the most useful pieces:
Washington State Standard — Statewide coverage of OSPI’s adoption of the updated rules and reactions from advocates. “Washington updates student discipline rules for public schools” (June 23, 2025)
APA Zero Tolerance Task Force: Research Summary
The American Psychological Association’s 2008 report on zero-tolerance policies — “Are Zero Tolerance Policies Effective in the Schools?” — remains the most cited research synthesis on discipline policy. The executive summary is accessible and quotable; the full report is comprehensive. Published in American Psychologist.
Key findings: zero-tolerance policies do not improve school safety, do not deter misbehavior, and produce significant harm — particularly for students of color and students with disabilities. This report provided the evidentiary foundation for a decade of reform efforts.
Citation: American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force (2008). Are zero tolerance policies effective in the schools? American Psychologist, 63(9), 852–862. apa.org — full task force report (PDF)
USCCR: “Beyond Suspensions” — Policy Brief and Full Report (2019)
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ 2019 report is the federal government’s most comprehensive examination of discipline disparities. A shorter policy brief provides the key findings accessibly; the full 200+ page report includes state-by-state analysis and detailed policy recommendations.
Policy brief and full report: usccr.gov — Beyond Suspensions
Learning Policy Institute: The Impact of Restorative Practices (2023)
LPI’s 2023 report on the impact of restorative practices, by Sean Darling-Hammond, studied restorative practices in California middle schools and found that greater exposure was associated with lower suspension rates and gains in achievement.
LPI report: Fostering Belonging, Transforming Schools: The Impact of Restorative Practices