Urbana School District Implements Groundbreaking Plan to Reduce Student Suspensions and Expulsions

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The Urbana School District #116 is set to embark on a transformative journey to revamp its disciplinary measures, following a recent vote that aims to address racial disparities revealed in their current exclusionary practices. This decision comes after a critical review highlighted the disproportionate impact of such practices on Black students.

In a board of education meeting held on Tuesday, the district unveiled a comprehensive plan focused on reducing exclusionary measures that remove students from their educational settings, such as suspensions and expulsions. The goal is to foster an environment where all students can remain engaged in their learning, without unnecessary interruptions.

Chasity Beckless, the district’s director of equity and school improvement, shed light on the findings of the internal review. She emphasized the adverse effects that removing students from the classroom can have, particularly on their educational progress. “When kids are not present, they are losing access to instruction,” Beckless pointed out. “Some of the academic goals that we may see, due to chronic absenteeism or not having access to instruction, does make an impact on our students’ outcomes.”

As the district charts this new course, the focus remains steadfast on ensuring equitable access to education, and in doing so, improving the academic achievements of all students, regardless of race or background.

The background portion of the statistics presented showed that the district ranks in the top 20% of all schools in the state for exclusionary practices over the past seven years. It also noted inconsistences in practices and consequences within and across different buildings.

In 2024, there were a total of 952 White students in the district. Of incidents that happened in this group, 109 led to these students being disciplined through expulsion or suspension.

On the other hand, that same year, the district had 3,182 students of color. Of incidents attributed to this group, 892 resulted in expulsion or suspension.

This means that roughly 11% of incidents involving White students led to exclusionary disciplines, and 28% of incidents involving students of color led to expulsion or suspension.

The objective of this potential action plan is to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline and racial disproportionality. Tier 1 of the plan includes implementing restorative practices and Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS). The goal is to promote positive behavior to reduce exclusionary discipline for all students, with a focus on Black students who experience higher rates of suspension and expulsion.

Tier 2 of the plan includes providing targeted social-emotional learning interventions for students at higher risk of suspension or expulsion. This includes personalized counseling, behavior support plans and small group targeted Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) sessions.

The final stage, Tier 3, looks to implement individualized Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) and mentoring programs for students with chronic behavioral issues, providing intensive one-on-one support aimed at prevention suspension or expulsion.

During the meeting, the school board unanimously approved Beckless’ request for change, which is a continuation of the 2024-25 Discipline Improvement Plan. Other next steps for this plan include continued monthly meetings focused on suspension goals and tiered student supports.

“It’s not just about the power struggle or managing students, but it’s [also] about how we manage our environments so students can learn best,” Beckless said.