School Discipline Guide
Minnesota Students with Disabilities - Parent Information
Table of Contents
- 1 – Introduction
- 2 – Begin the Discipline Guide
- 3 – On IEP and the discipline is?
- 4 – Recess detention
- 5 – Removal from class
- 6 – Sent home before the end of the school day
- 7 – Restraint or removal from school by a peace officer
- 8 – In-school suspension
- 9 – Suspension from the bus
- 12 – Out-of-school suspension
- 13 – Up to five days
- 14 – More than five days
- 15 – More than 10 consecutive school days or more than 10 total school days for this school year
- 25 – Expulsion or exclusion
- 35 – Concerns about the school not following required discipline procedures
- 3 – On IEP and the discipline is?
- 36 – Conclusion
- Definitions
Removal from class
Parents need to know:
Minnesota Statutes require every school board to adopt a written, districtwide school discipline policy that establishes the various grounds for which a student may be removed from class*, the procedures that must be followed for removing a student from class,1 and the procedures for returning the student to the class from which they were removed. 2
Every districtwide school discipline policy must also include these provisions:
- A limit of no more than five class periods of removal for a violation of a rule of conduct3
- Procedures for determining, for a child with a disability who is removed from class, if there is a need to review the adequacy of their current IEP*4
- A procedure for notifying you if your child is removed from class more than 10 times in the same school year and meeting with you to discuss the problem that is causing your child to be removed from class5
Next steps:
Behavior is a form of communication. If you have concerns about what your child is communicating through the behaviors that are resulting in getting removed from class, you could request an IEP team meeting to discuss your concerns.6 For example, you could talk about these questions with your child’s IEP team:
- What specific circumstances led to your child’s removal from class?
- Is your child’s IEP being followed? Is your child receiving the services and accommodations that they should be receiving in the class they were removed from?
- Could your child’s behavior be addressed through possible changes to their IEP to provide them with new supports or interventions in the class where they are struggling?
To help you prepare for an IEP team meeting to discuss questions like these, you could reach out to your child’s IEP case manager and have a conversation about your concerns or contact a PACER advocate.
Minnesota Statutes and IDEA Regulations
1 - Minn. Stat. § 121A.61, subd. 1.
2 - Minn. Stat. § 121A.61, subd. 3(g).
3 - Minn. Stat. § 121A.61, subd. 3(e).
4 - Minn. Stat. § 121A.61, subd. 3(m).
5 - Minn. Stat. § 121A.61, subd. 2.
6 - 34 C.F.R. § 300.324(b).
This resource is made possible with funding from the Minnesota Department of Education.