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District reports decline in exclusionary discipline rates and outlines Character Strong rollout and next steps
Summary
Austin ISD presented an update on discretionary exclusionary discipline (ISS/OSS) on April 9, reporting the district is on track to meet its CPM target and describing expanded tiered behavioral supports, Character Strong curriculum implementation and new documentation and coaching steps to reduce removals and better track in‑class exclusionary practices.
Austin ISD administrators reported to trustees that discretionary exclusionary discipline (in‑school suspension, out‑of‑school suspension and formal removals) is trending toward the district's CPM target and described strategies to keep students in class, strengthen Tier‑1 instruction and scale targeted supports.
Presenters noted that a majority of the roughly 11,625 discretionary referrals written between the start of the school year and mid‑March were handled with on‑campus supports: approximately 14% resulted in in‑school suspension, 30% in device‑related warnings, and 43% in alternative responses such as restorative practices, counselor referrals and detention. The district emphasized broader reporting is needed to capture informal exclusionary practices (for example, repeated classroom breaks, hallway placements or temporary removal) and said it will improve service‑tracking and add guidance.
Staff described implementation of the Character Strong behavior curriculum across tiers, a central coaching and NTSS support structure, and fidelity checks tied to lesson completion and teacher engagement metrics. Administrators highlighted outlier campuses where consistent, high‑fidelity Character Strong implementation correlated with declines in referrals and said next steps include clearer definitions for documentation of non‑removal interventions, a teacher 'flipbook' of quick strategies, and a QR code‑based coaching request flyer to make coaching more accessible.
Trustees praised the additional data and asked for continued disaggregation and clearer measures that capture in‑class exclusions that do not rise to ISS/OSS. The board voted to accept the monitoring report as presented.
