A content analysis of codes of conduct in the throes of statewide discipline legislative reform

Discipline reform legislation is becoming widespread throughout the country. In Illinois, sweeping discipline legislative reform went into effect in September of 2016, banning zero tolerance policies unless mandated under federal laws and requiring school districts to limit the unnecessary use of exclusionary discipline. In this study, a total of 45 codes of conduct were analyzed to determine whether the content changed pre- and post- legislation. Results showed that following the passage of this legislation, there was a 24% decrease in the number of school districts that included zero tolerance language within their codes of conduct and a 36% decrease in the use of exclusionary discipline. However, many codes of conduct continued to include zero tolerance language and exclusionary discipline for offenses other than those required under federal law. Implications for school district discipline policies and practices are discussed.