Beaverton SD 48J highlights restorative practices as exclusionary discipline affects small share of students, board presses on disproportionality

Beaverton School District 48J staff presented an equity-centered overview of student discipline and semester 1 exclusionary-discipline data at a board work session, and board members pressed for more detail on disproportionality, investigations and supports for students with mental-health and housing instability.

District staff opened the presentation by tying discipline work to the district’s equity lens and its Safe and Thriving goal area, and described a tiered “continuum of care” that centers proactive practices, restorative approaches and calibrated administrative responses.

Why it matters: staff said only a small share of enrolled students experienced exclusion (suspension or expulsion) in semester 1, but board members said that even small numbers can reflect persistent racial and disability-based disparities that the district must address. Trustees asked for more data, for clarification about investigation procedures and for follow-up memos and another work session.

District framing and practices

Heather (staff member) told the board the district’s “equity lens centers our actions” and said the lens guides professional development, the code of conduct and how the district calibrates responses across buildings. Todd Corsetti, a high school principal, described the district’s three-tiered approach: universal practices for most students, targeted interventions for a smaller group and intensive individualized supports for the smallest cohort. “We know that context is key and that relationships matter,” Corsetti said.

Dr. Reggiani described restorative practices in classroom and school settings, explaining that most students are served by tier 1 supports and that restorative circles, conferences and connected conversations are used at higher tiers. Staff said the district collects social-emotional…