A New Model for Reducing School Suspensions

October 24, 2005

Reducing School Suspensions through Prevention, Planning and Student Support (October 17, 2005)

In 2004, Maryland required elementary schools with a suspension rate over 18 percent to implement a school-wide behavioral intervention initiative. The Baltimore School System is implementing Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS), a team-based process for systemic problem-solving, planning, and evaluation of school behavior problems.

PBIS is based on evidence that shows most student misbehavior occurs at certain times of the school day and/or in specific locations on the campus. To reduce these hot spots, PBIS helps school administrators track data about where, when, and why misbehaviors occur so they can prevent it. In schools throughout the United States, PBIS has resulted in fewer disciplinary referrals and less administrative and classroom time spent on managing disruptive behavior.

Open Society Baltimore’s Criminal Justice and Education & Youth Development programs presented a forum on PBIS as part of its series School Discipline Policies and Their Criminal Justice Consequences.

Listen above.

Topics

Economic Justice

Local Knowledge

A Quarter Century of Change in Baltimore

Students play chess in pairs in a cafeteria.

Open Society opened a Baltimore office 25 years ago as a testing ground for addressing critical urban issues. As the Foundations streamline their efforts, a look back at the idea and the impact of this groundbreaking office.

April 12, 2023 | Aryeh Neier

Drug Policy

Three Decades of Drug Policy Reform Work

People wearing ATITUDE T-shirts smiling with a man

Over the past 30 years, Open Society has been the largest philanthropic supporter of efforts to reform drug policy and promote harm reduction around the world. This is a timeline of the Foundations’ pathbreaking work.

November 16, 2021

Racial Justice Matters

Open Society’s History Fighting for Racial Justice in the United States

A woman sings while surrounded by fellow activists

For decades, George Soros and the Open Society Foundations have invested in racial equity and the movement to dismantle systemic forms of discrimination—from the drug war to segregated schools and housing to securing the right to vote.

July 13, 2020

Subscribe to updates about Open Society’s work around the world

By entering your email address and clicking “Submit,” you agree to receive updates from the Open Society Foundations about our work. To learn more about how we use and protect your personal data, please view our privacy policy.