All young people need to be in school and feel safe there in order to learn. That's why, at Equality Federation, we're committed to building safe and welcoming schools where students are free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and harsh discipline policies.

As we forge ahead in this important work, we're using two exciting new resources for winning inclusive and effective school policies:

Model School Code
The Dignity in Schools Campaign's Model Code on Education and Dignity presents a set of recommended policies to schools, districts and legislators to help end school pushout and protect the human rights of education, dignity, participation and freedom from discrimination. The Code is the culmination of several years of research and dialogue with students, parents, educators, advocates and researchers who came together to envision a school system that supports all children and young people in reaching their full potential.

A recently revised version of the Model Code is now available and includes new sections on:

• social and emotional learning;
• prevention and response to bullying behavior;
• reducing tickets and summonses issued in school;
• reducing racial disparities in discipline through culturally responsive classroom management; and
• creating safe schools for LGBTQ students. 

Just click here to download this resource! 

Data on Suspensions
Overuse of out-of-school suspension is one of the key drivers of school pushout of minority students. It is one practice among many that make it more likely for students -- especially LGBTQ students, students of color, immigrant students, and students with disabilities -- to leave school instead of finish it.

Want to know the suspension rates for students by school district in your state? Check out School Discipline Data from The Center for Civil Rights Remedies (CCRR).

This useful tool quickly sorts through data on more than 26,000 U.S. schools and approximately 7,000 districts to present the reader with clear yet detailed graphs based on the analysis published in two recent CCRR reports -- Opportunities Suspended: The Disparate Impact of Disciplinary Exclusion from School and Out of School & Off Track: The Overuse of Suspensions in American Middle and High Schools.

Many of our members across the country are actively engaged in advocacy to create safe and just schools. We hope these resources help to empower those efforts!