Developing a Response to Behavior Plan: The Interplay of Social–Emotional Learning and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Overview

Schools need established policies and responsive practices around discipline to promote equity, reduce bias, and provide opportunities for social–emotional learning (SEL). SEL and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are essential as we reckon with painful understandings of racism. Students need explicit acknowledgment of and instruction on concepts of power, privilege, and oppression to prepare them to navigate the real world. Especially now, in the context of COVID-19, the resurgence of Black Lives Matter, and the global call for ethnoracial justice, it is as important as ever that schools address high emotions and frayed nerves with empathy, compassion, and an equity lens. In light of such social transformation, our school has evolved from the use of discipline toward the establishment of a “response to behavior.” This approach is firmly rooted in our expectation that children at elementary school age will experiment with different roles and behaviors, and in our belief that adults in the school community must take caring and consistent action.