School Discipline

School discipline is how schools respond when students break rules, from warnings to suspension and expulsion. Districts write the codes, states set limits, and federal civil rights laws apply, especially for students with disabilities. Student records of discipline are protected by privacy law.

People usually ask what rights a student has before being suspended or expelled, how discipline is handled for students with disabilities, and who may see discipline records. They also ask how rules on phones and other conduct are set, and whether punishments fall evenly across groups of students.