The Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders will host a one-day conference from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Nebraska Innovation Campus conference center to address overuse of suspension and expulsion as disciplinary consequences.

The apparent overuse of suspension and expulsion as disciplinary consequences in schools has become a serious concern. Both the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Office of Civil Rights have communicated to educators in the last year concerns about what they believe is a consistent pattern of over representation of students who are minorities and students receiving these consequences.

“Strategies to Reduce Exclusionary School Discipline” will provide ideas and strategies that schools could employ to greatly diminish the need for exclusionary disciplinary consequences in schools by increasing positive, appropriate behavior of students in school settings across disability and minority groups.

Registration is $25 and is available through Sept. 9 at http://go.unl.edu/3v02.

The conference is targeted for Nebraska preschool and K-12 school personnel, especially those dealing with school discipline and behavior. In particular, the conference should be of special interest to all K-12 principals and associate principals, and directors of pupil services and special education.

UNL faculty and students across several colleges and departments who may be interested in this topic are also invited to participate. The meeting is intended to foster discussion among school personnel and to foster collaborative research about these issues with a multidisciplinary group of educators and UNL faculty and students.