Transitioning to nonpunitive school policies for addressing student substance use: Qualitative interviews with key school administrators

Abstract Recent policy change in Massachusetts encourages schools to limit their use of exclusionary discipline to “extraordinary circumstances,” but little work has explored the opportunities and challenges of transitioning to nonpunitive practices after student substance use infractions in schools. As such, the current study conducted semistructured interviews with key school administrators involved in disciplinary decisions to examine their personal beliefs about punishment, their policies for addressing student substance use, and their perceptions of transitioning to nonpunitive approaches. Participating school administrators ( N = 24) served 20 schools, with 25% of participants working in schools serving students from predominantly ethnically/racially minoritized groups. Analyses leveraged a combined inductive and deductive content analysis. Qualitative themes highlighted how suspension remains the most common response, and yet, administrators have mixed feelings (e.g., perceived advantages, concerns about equity and effectiveness) about punishment for student substance use. Accordingly, school administrators are exploring alternative responses and believe in incorporating educational components into substance use response. School administrators discussed logistical (e.g., staff capacity) and attitudinal (e.g., “old‐school” discipline mindset) determinants of transitioning to nonpunitive school practices. As key school decision makers, continued partnership with school administrators is vital to inform sustainable policy change that optimizes adolescent outcomes.