Incident Reports as Intervention Plans: Rewriting Discipline as a Curriculum of Missing Skills

In my early years as a counselor working with at-risk students in the NYC Department of Education, my office was the frequent "landing pad" for students who had been removed from class. I spent countless hours reviewing incidents in the Online Occurrence Reporting System (OORS). At first glance, they looked like a ledger of failures - a list of things that had gone wrong. But as I sat across from these students, listening to their stories, I began to see OORS through a different lens. It wasn’t just a reporting system; it was a diagnostic map of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) gaps.

If we want to meaningfully reduce suspensions and behavioral incidents in our schools, we have to stop viewing the Citywide Behavioral Expectations to Support Student Learning as a menu of punishments. Instead, we must treat it as a curriculum of missing skills. When we align these behavioral expectations with our instructional standards - specifically the Danielson Framework for Teaching - we move from a culture of compliance to a culture of competency.

This shift begins with how we "read" student behavior. When a spike in "B21" (Defiance) or "B36" (Disorderly Conduct) appears in our OORS data, our instinct is often to increase the severity of the consequence. However, a shift in mindset might offer a different approach: what is the data telling us about the students' self-management? A student cited for B21 often isn't trying to challenge authority for the sake of it; they likely lack the internal tools to pause when they feel a surge of frustration. Similarly, a B36 - becoming physically aggressive - is frequently a sign that a student hasn't mastered social awareness or the ability to gauge how their energy impacts the collective space.

By identifying these "lagging skills," we can start to use the Citywide Behavioral Expectations as an intervention guide. If we see a pattern of peer-to-peer conflict, the "discipline" shouldn't just be a stay in the Reflection Room; it should be a targeted lesson in relationship skills and conflict resolution. We wouldn't give a failing grade to a student who can’t read without offering a phonics intervention, and we shouldn't suspend a student for a behavioral gap without offering a social-emotional one.

This is where the Danielson Framework becomes our most powerful prevention tool. Educators often see Danielson as an evaluative hurdle, but for those of us focused on school climate, it is a roadmap for keeping kids in class. Take Component 2a (Respect and Rapport). In my experience, a teacher who excels in 2a creates a "relational bank account" with their students. That social capital allows them to de-escalate a situation with a quiet word or a subtle gesture before it ever reaches the level of an OORS report.

Furthermore, Component 2d (Managing Student Behavior) is not about being a "strong disciplinarian" in the traditional sense. It’s about creating systems where students participate in their own behavioral management. When we allow students to help set classroom norms, we are teaching them Responsible Decision-Making. When we provide "Peace Corners" or "Mindful Moments," we are giving them a physical space to practice the Self-Management skills they might be lacking. This isn't "going soft" on behavior; it is being rigorous about the causes of it.

Here are a few practical tips for school staff looking to make this shift:

• Use OORS data proactively: Don’t wait for central reports. Review your school's OORS entries weekly to look for patterns by time, location, or behavior code. This helps you spot emerging SEL needs before they escalate.

• Embed SEL into transitions: If your data shows issues during hallway transitions or lunch, introduce short SEL routines like breathing exercises or team-building check-ins at those times.

• Reframe your response: When addressing student behavior, ask yourself: "What skill is this student missing, and how can I teach it?" This keeps the focus on growth rather than punishment.

• Model and teach SEL explicitly: Use moments of conflict as opportunities for mini-lessons in emotional regulation, empathy, or problem-solving. Even a quick 2-minute conversation can plant a seed.

• Build relationship capital daily: Greet students by name, ask about their interests, and celebrate small wins. These daily deposits into the "relational bank" pay off in moments of tension.

To implement this effectively, we can look at our OORS data to determine the "when" and "where" of our SEL needs. If your data shows that most incidents happen at 10:30 AM during a specific transition, that is where your Tier 1 SEL instruction needs to live. It could be a three-minute co-regulation exercise or a structured "SEL Minute" that aligns with Danielson 3c (Engaging Students in Learning). If a student is emotionally dysregulated, they are neurologically incapable of being "engaged" in a lesson. By addressing the emotion first, we protect the instruction later.

Ultimately, the goal of reducing suspensions is about protecting instructional time, ensuring equity, and preserving dignity. When a student is removed from the classroom, the academic gap widens, and the relationship with the school community fractures. By using our reporting systems to identify SEL gaps and our instructional frameworks to fill them, we stop being managers of behavior and start being teachers of people. Our students are not the sum of their OORS codes; they are young people waiting for us to notice the gap between what we expect of them and what we have actually taught them. When we bridge that gap, we don't just reduce suspensions - we build a community where every student has the tools to succeed.