[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-597321-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-597321-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","safe-schools-and-zero-tolerance-policy-program-and-practice-in-ontario","Safe Schools and Zero Tolerance: Policy, Program and Practice in Ontario","","This paper examines Ontario’s zero tolerance discipline policies enacted through the Safe Schools Act (SSA) 2001. The study argues that framing school violence and behavior problems as requiring standardized zero tolerance solutions has produced detrimental effects. Using Ball’s “policy as text” and “policy as discourse,” it analyzes how professionals interpret and implement these measures. The paper concludes that the discursive frames supporting zero tolerance have shifted to consider other equitable alternatives.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/safe-schools-and-zero-tolerance-policy-program-and-practice-in-ontario/597321/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/safe-schools-and-zero-tolerance-policy-program-and-practice-in-ontario/597321.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Blue Pony","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",6,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What does the paper argue about Ontario’s Safe Schools Act (SSA) 2001?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The paper argues that the SSA, positioned within a zero tolerance discourse, has had detrimental impacts on addressing violence and behavior issues in schools.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How does the study frame its analysis of policy?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It uses Ball’s interpretation of “policy as text” and “policy as discourse” to examine how discursive frames shape professional interpretations and limiting effects.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What outcomes does the paper highlight regarding equity and student groups?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It states that the SSA dealt a blow to equity, particularly for students from minority status backgrounds and students with disabilities.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},597321,1792171575,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":117,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":103,"preview_page_count":4},962090760266,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","Safe Schools and Zero Tolerance: Policy, Program and Practice in Ontario  \nYvette Daniel and Karla Bondy, University of Windsor  \nAbstract  \nThis paper examines zero tolerance discipline policies in Ontario’s public school system legislated as the Safe Schools Act ( SSA) 2001. The intent of our paper is to argue that the SSA set within a discourse of zero tolerance as the panacea to the problems of violence in schools has had a detrimental impact. Since the SSA is part of the episteme of standardized solutions to complex problems , Ball’s interpretation of “policy as text”and “policy as discourse” serves as the guiding framework for the study in which we examine the perspectives of professionals who implement these measures. In conclusion we state that the discursive frames within which zero tolerance policies are situated have shifted to some extent in order to consider other possibilities to the zero tolerance approach.  \nSafe Schools and Zero Tolerance: Policy, Program and Practice in Ontario  \nDiscipline policies in our school system have shifted towards treating children in ways that increasingly resemble the adult criminal justice system. This shift is exemplified in “zero tolerance” policies built upon the premise that a coherent set of guidelines must be designed to determine what constitutes unacceptable behavior. A set of predetermined rules are subsequently applied to determine the appropriate consequences and punishments for such behaviors (Holloway, 2002) . Most rules refer to suspensions, notification to police or expulsion of the troublesome student. Zero tolerance means intolerance of violence and includes some consequences for action. These policies cover a series of behaviors that range from verbal threats and physical violence to dress code violations. The concept of zero tolerance appears to set high standards and to send a clear message to all students. Its public appeal lies in its seemingly clear and no-nonsense approach to dealing with the problem of violence in our schools. Zero tolerance policies have become the ‘episteme’ in an age of standardized solutions to complex issues. In recent years, however, these policies have come under intense criticism for their blanket approach to addressing behavior problems, their disproportionate adverse impact on students from disadvantaged groups and their questionable effect on the overall safety and security of our students. This does not imply that we discard all discipline policies; however, researchers have been arguing that we need to examine the long and short-term effects, and to seek solutions that are equitable and socially responsible.  \nThe intent of our paper, therefore, is to argue that the Safe Schools Act (2001) in Ontario set within a discourse of zero tolerance as the panacea to the problems of violence and behavior issues in schools has had a detrimental impact. In particular, the SSA has dealt a blow to issues of equity especially for students from minority status backgrounds and students with disabilities. We bring findings from extant literature to substantiate our small scale research that explored the ways in which professionals working in schools interpreted the SSA.  \nThis paper begins with the conceptual framework that guides the study. In the second section a description of the episteme within which the SSA was implemented is provided. The third section is a brief description of our study. In the fourth section we analyze the impact of the SSA and its ensuing measures by presenting voices from the field. In the fifth section we inquire whether we perceive a shift in thinking in light of all the research that has shown that zero tolerance is not the answer. In conclusion we state that the discursive frames within which zero tolerance policies are situated have shifted to some extent in order to consider other possibilities to the zero tolerance approach.  \nConceptual Framework  \nWe cannot define policies in simplistic terms. Since we arg","cbCaicL88EuTubbE","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaicL88EuTubbE","pdf",78866,"English","# Abstract\n# Conceptual Framework\n# Zero Tolerance: Episteme of an Age\n# Conclusion","[{\"question\":\"What does the paper argue about Ontario’s Safe Schools Act (SSA) 2001?\",\"answer\":\"The paper argues that the SSA, positioned within a zero tolerance discourse, has had detrimental impacts on addressing violence and behavior issues in schools.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the study frame its analysis of policy?\",\"answer\":\"It uses Ball’s interpretation of “policy as text” and “policy as discourse” to examine how discursive frames shape professional interpretations and limiting effects.\"},{\"question\":\"What outcomes does the paper highlight regarding equity and student groups?\",\"answer\":\"It states that the SSA dealt a blow to equity, particularly for students from minority status backgrounds and students with disabilities.\"}]","Safe Schools and Zero Tolerance: Policy, Program and Practice in Ontario | PDF",1792084807]