- Lessons from the Field Webinar Series -
Keeping Students in School Through School Justice Partnerships
Wednesday, July 10 2024 | 3:00 - 4:30 PM ET
On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) invites you to join our next webinar: Keeping Students in School Through School Justice Partnerships.
Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, the rate of students referred to courts has increased substantially (Marsh, 2014). The majority of referrals to the juvenile justice system each year are for status offenses — activities that are not criminal but are prohibited under the law because of a youth’s status as a minor. For example, truancy — violating a school’s attendance policies — accounted for the majority (58 percent) of petitioned status offense cases disposed in 2021 (Hockenberry & Puzzanchera, 2024). These referrals sometimes result in students missing school time or going deeper into the juvenile justice system.
As schools actively work to keep students in school – engaged and focused on learning – and build up protective factors for those who are at risk, several have worked with law enforcement, court personnel and others in their community to establish School Justice Partnerships (SJPs). SJPs are designed to develop and implement effective strategies to address low-level, minor misbehavior, so students stay in the classroom rather than the courtroom. Data shows that they also can help reduce suspension rates, increase high school graduation rates, and decrease school dropout rates.
In this webinar, context setting speakers will first discuss how current brain science can inform how schools address minor misbehavior and then provide an overview of SJPs, sharing the main components and process. Then, our panelists will discuss what sparked the creation of their school justice partnerships, how their partnerships have evolved over time, and the impact they have had in their communities. The webinar will end with a live Q&A.
Speakers & Panelists
Moderator: Greta Colombi, Director, NCSSLE
· Dr. Bernadine Futrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education
· Liz Ryan, Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice
· Ellen Galinsky, President, Families and Work Institute, Researcher, Author of The Breakthrough Years
· Hon. Steven C. Teske, Chief Presiding Judge Juvenile & Family Court Designated Superior Court Judge Clayton Judicial Circuit State of Georgia (Retired)
· Luvinia Jackson, Superintendent, Clayton County Public Schools, GA (Retired)
· Dr. Ralph Simpson, Deputy Superintendent of Administrative Services & Strategic Improvement, Clayton County Public Schools, GA
· Benjamin Straker, Parent; Vice Chair, Clayton County School Board, GA
· Julius (J) Corpening, Chief District Judge, State of North Carolina
· Stephanie Kraybill, Board of Education, New Hanover County Schools, NC
· David Gleiser, Executive Director, Missouri River Historical Development, Inc.
Webinar Materials
Resources, slides, speaker bios, the webinar recording (available the day after the event) and more will be posted on the event webpage.
You must register to participate in this presentation. Who should register? State and District Leaders, School Administrators, Educators, Student Support Personnel, Parents, and other Education Stakeholders.