Government offers guidelines to end 'school-to-prison pipeline'
Recommendations on discipline follow criticism of policies that send minority students into the court system
The Obama administration on Wednesday issued new recommendations on classroom discipline that seek to end the apparent disparities in how students are punished for violating school rules after data found minorities were more likely to face disciplinary action or arrest.
The guidelines that came from the Justice and Education departments called for improving school environments by training staff, engaging families and teaching students how to resolve conflicts. They also urged schools to understand their obligations under civil-rights laws, and outlined a host of federal resources regarding school discipline.
Civil-rights advocates have long said that a "school-to-prison" pipeline stems from overly zealous school discipline policies targeting black and Hispanic students that pull them out of school and into the court system.
Attorney General Eric Holder said the problem is often the result of well-intentioned "zero-tolerance" policies that too often inject the criminal-justice system into the resolution of problems. Zero-