The Zero Tolerance Policy

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School safety and student achievement have been debated topics in public education for many years. A safe school is a productive school yielding higher student achievement and grade point averages (Brunner & Lewis, 2009). The Zero Tolerance (ZT) policy has a 20-year history in our public schools. In the early 1980s, the zero tolerance policy was implemented as a deterrent of drug infractions in schools. In the 1990s the policy included more serious infractions such as weapons as a response to an increase in school violence. In However, the Policy has been applied to minor infractions such as classroom disruptions, tardiness, etc. The original purpose was to implement a discipline policy to help protect students and staff while maximizing