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Melanie Asmar, Chalkbeat
Nearly a year and a half after a shooting inside Denver’s East High School ignited a community conversation about student discipline, Denver Public Schools publicly released new guidance Thursday on when students can be suspended or expelled.
The district’s new discipline matrix is a flowchart of sorts that spells out potential consequences for student behaviors ranging from horseplay to bringing a gun to school. District leaders have said the new matrix is less subjective and more specific than the last one, which was adopted in 2021 with an eye toward reducing student contact with police.
Moira Coogan, the principal of the North Engagement Center and president of the Denver School Leaders Association, said members of the principals union appreciate that the new matrix is more clear.
“There’s more specificity of the behaviors,” she said. “The definition at my school is the same as the definition down the street.”
Any lingering concerns, Coogan said, are about whether schools will get the resources and support to put the new matrix into practice. She said principals are “cautiously optimistic.”
The new matrix will go into effect this school year. Monday is the first day of school for most DPS students, though some charter and innovation schools started earlier.
The discipline matrix came under scrutiny after a March 2023 shooting at East because the 17-year-old gunman had been previously expelled from a neighboring school district. Although the matrix doesn’t address whether previously expelled students can enroll at a new school, some parents and community members called for the district to enact stricter discipline.
The new matrix is not necessarily more punitive. Even students who commit the most serious offenses — including bringing a gun to school, attempted homicide, and homicide — won’t be automatically expelled under the new matrix. Instead, such offenses will result in a mandatory request to expel the student, which could result in an expulsion or could not.
The new discipline matrix has seven levels of offenses instead of six. DPS Deputy Chief of Staff Deborah Staten told Chalkbeat earlier this year that the district added the seventh level, which includes homicide and attempted homicide, because “those are behaviors that happen in schools, so when we talked about this, we said, ‘Let’s call the thing the thing.’”
Level one offenses include behaviors such as horseplay, refusing to follow the directions of a staff member, or disturbing the learning environment, among others. Students can’t be suspended or expelled for a level one offense. Instead, the discipline matrix recommends the school put in place interventions and use restorative practices when possible.
Ike Ogbuike, a discipline program manager for DPS, said a restorative practice may look like a facilitated conversation between two students who are in conflict with each other. Such practices can be used instead of suspension for most offenses on the matrix, he said, but they can’t be used if a student commits a level six or seven offense, which are the most egregious.
Level two offenses include behavior such as bringing nicotine products to school, stealing or destroying property worth less than $499, or making “heat of the moment” threats. A student could receive a one-day in-school suspension for a level two offense.
Level three offenses include behavior such as possessing alcohol or marijuana at school, or verbally bullying or harassing someone. Younger students — those in preschool through third grade — could receive a two-day in-school suspension for a level three offense. Older students in fourth through 12th grade could be suspended out of school for one day.
Level four offenses include behavior such as physically bullying or harassing someone, indecent exposure, or agreeing to fight another student. Younger students could be suspended out of school for one day, while older students could be suspended for two days.
Level five offenses include behavior such as bringing a dangerous weapon to school, threatening to commit a school shooting, selling drugs, stealing a vehicle, or committing arson. Younger students could be suspended out of school for a day, but likely not expelled as the matrix notes that “expulsion is not best practice.” Older students could be suspended for up to three days. Older students could also be recommended for expulsion.
Level six offenses include displaying a dangerous weapon at school or threatening to use it, or committing serious physical assault or sexual assault. Younger students could be suspended out of school for up to three days but likely not expelled. Older students could be suspended for up to five days. The matrix requires that older students also undergo an expulsion review.
Level seven offenses include bringing a gun to school, attempted homicide, and homicide. All students, regardless of age, who commit a level seven offense will undergo an expulsion review. The matrix notes that bringing a fake gun to school does not count as a level seven offense.
This story has been updated with quotes from district officials.
Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at [email protected].
