S.B. 2486 Summary

• Requires the Department of Education to establish a standardized data collection and reporting process for schools and complex areas, including accuracy reviews and coordination with the state public charter school commission.

• Mandates collection and public reporting of student discipline data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, English learner status, disability status, and other subgroups, including in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions by duration, expulsions, arrests, and restraint information.

• Requires annual posting of state, complex, and school-level reports on the department's website showing three-year trend data on discipline rates and rates of disciplinary disparity, with data downloadable in raw form.

• Directs the department to annually submit reports to the board and legislature identifying discipline strategies, alternatives, and resources available to schools, and tracking implementation of evidence-based strategies like positive behavior interventions and restorative justice.

• Data shall be redacted when a particular subgroup contains ten or fewer students, while maintaining individual student privacy; purpose includes preserving protections if federal civil rights data collection requirements change.