District staff and students say community partners helped cut exclusionary discipline by more than 20%

Staff and students at Duquesne City School District described during a presentation how partnerships with outside organizations and restorative-practices programs have supported students and families and, according to the presenter, reduced exclusionary discipline by more than 20% in the past year.

The presenter — a district staff member involved in the initiative — said the district works with Pittsburgh-area Community Schools, the Just Discipline Project, PBIS and other groups inside the school building to bridge the school, families and community. "We're recognized by the state with tier-one fidelity, which takes three years of time," the staff member said, citing the program's multi-year implementation.

Why it matters: school officials and students said the partnerships both address students' behavioral needs and remove barriers to attendance and learning by connecting families to hygiene, clothing and food supports. The presenter credited those services, along with restorative practices such as community circles and mediations, with reducing the number of students removed from class for disciplinary reasons.

The presentation described several concrete elements of the effort. Leaders in Training, a middle-school group, focuses on building leadership and mutual support among seventh- and eighth-graders; staff said the student engagement team helps with tasks such as distributing food bags, supporting attendance incentives and running monthly attendance parties. The district reported "we've seen over a 20% drop in the last year in office-managed referrals," the presenter said, attributing the improvement to the collaborative work with partners.

Speakers also highlighted resource access. The presenter said having Alexis Thomas on the team helped the school tap services from partners and noted a clothing closet run through PAX as a major resource for families. Students offered firsthand accounts of the support: one said, "They're irreplaceable to me," and another described that helping other students "already makes me happy."

What was not decided: the presentation conveyed results and practices but did not record any formal vote or directive in the transcript. Funding sources, long-term sustainability plans and exact program staffing levels were not specified in the record provided.

The presenter closed by stressing consistency and trust as central to the work: being a reliable adult and a safe space for students, and continuing collaboration with community partners to meet students' needs.