The Connecticut State Board of Education's Five-year Comprehensive Plan states the goal of decreasing rates of suspensions, expulsions, and student arrests through expanding school based diversion intiatives, other restorative justice programs, and positive behavioral interventions and supports.

(g) On and after July 1, 2015, all suspensions pursuant to this section shall be in-school suspensions, except a local or regional board of education may authorize the administration of schools under its direction to impose an out-of-school suspension on any pupil in (1) grades three to twelve, inclusive, if, during the hearing held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, (A) the administration determines that the pupil being suspended poses such a danger to persons or property or such a disruption of the educational process that the pupil shall be excluded from school during the period of suspension, or (B) the administration determines that an out-of-school suspension is appropriate for such pupil based on evidence of (i) previous disciplinary problems that have led to suspensions or expulsion of such pupil, and (ii) efforts by the administration to address such disciplinary problems through means other than out-of-school suspension or expulsion, including positive behavioral support strategies, or (2) grades preschool to two, inclusive, if during the hearing held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the administration determines that an out-of-school suspension is appropriate for such pupil based on evidence that such pupil’s conduct on school grounds is of a violent or sexual nature that endangers persons. An in-school suspension may be served in the school that the pupil attends, or in any school building under the jurisdiction of the local or regional board of education, as determined by such board. Nothing in this section shall limit a person’s duty as a mandated reporter pursuant to section 17-101a to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

(g) On and after July 1, 2015, all suspensions pursuant to this section shall be in-school suspensions, except a local or regional board of education may authorize the administration of schools under its direction to impose an out-of-school suspension on any pupil in (1) grades three to twelve, inclusive, if, during the hearing held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, (A) the administration determines that the pupil being suspended poses such a danger to persons or property or such a disruption of the educational process that the pupil shall be excluded from school during the period of suspension, or (B) the administration determines that an out-of-school suspension is appropriate for such pupil based on evidence of (i) previous disciplinary problems that have led to suspensions or expulsion of such pupil, and (ii) efforts by the administration to address such disciplinary problems through means other than out-of-school suspension or expulsion, including positive behavioral support strategies, or (2) grades preschool to two, inclusive, if during the hearing held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the administration determines that an out-of-school suspension is appropriate for such pupil based on evidence that such pupil’s conduct on school grounds is of a violent or sexual nature that endangers persons. An in-school suspension may be served in the school that the pupil attends, or in any school building under the jurisdiction of the local or regional board of education, as determined by such board. Nothing in this section shall limit a person’s duty as a mandated reporter pursuant to section 17-101a to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

(g) On and after July 1, 2015, all suspensions pursuant to this section shall be in-school suspensions, except a local or regional board of education may authorize the administration of schools under its direction to impose an out-of-school suspension on any pupil in (1) grades three to twelve, inclusive, if, during the hearing held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, (A) the administration determines that the pupil being suspended poses such a danger to persons or property or such a disruption of the educational process that the pupil shall be excluded from school during the period of suspension, or (B) the administration determines that an out-of-school suspension is appropriate for such pupil based on evidence of (i) previous disciplinary problems that have led to suspensions or expulsion of such pupil, and (ii) efforts by the administration to address such disciplinary problems through means other than out-of-school suspension or expulsion, including positive behavioral support strategies, or (2) grades preschool to two, inclusive, if during the hearing held pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the administration determines that an out-of-school suspension is appropriate for such pupil based on evidence that such pupil’s conduct on school grounds is of a violent or sexual nature that endangers persons. An in-school suspension may be served in the school that the pupil attends, or in any school building under the jurisdiction of the local or regional board of education, as determined by such board. Nothing in this section shall limit a person’s duty as a mandated reporter pursuant to section 17-101a to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

(a) Any local or regional board of education may authorize the administration of schools under its direction to impose an in-school suspension on any pupil whose conduct endangers persons or property or is seriously disruptive of the educational process, or is violative of a publicized policy of such board. No pupil shall be placed in in-school suspension without an informal hearing before the building principal or such principal’s designee at which such pupil shall be informed of the reasons for the disciplinary action and given an opportunity to explain the situation, provided no pupil shall be placed in in-school suspension more than fifteen times or a total of fifty days in one school year, whichever results in fewer days of exclusion. (b) A local or regional board of education may reassign a pupil to a regular classroom program in a different school in the school district and such reassignment shall not constitute a suspension pursuant to section 10-233c, or an expulsion pursuant to section 10-233d.

This position statement from the Connecticut State Board of Education states that exclusionary practices should be used as a last resort and provides guidelines to support school districts in approaching school discipline through a proactive and comprehensive system of supports.