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This study examines how staff working for one Ontario school board perceive two distinct approaches to school discipline policy: the Safe Schools Act (Bill 81) and Progressive Discipline and School Safety (Bill 212). The more centrally controlled and rigid Safe Schools Act was criticized by interviewees and cited for human rights violations. However, the inherent flexibility and vagueness of the Progressive Discipline policy that replaced it was seen to lead to inconsistent policy implementation and unequal outcomes for students. This paper considers the broader implications of policies that are "tightly coupled" or "loosely coupled" in terms of teachers' professional discretion, accountability, and student outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health issues continue to present barriers for Canadian children, in terms of both psychological and academic outcomes. Growing numbers of students are placed "at risk" as a result. A mental health promotion approach suggests that students can develop a number of skills and competencies, namely those related to social-emotional learning (SEL), which can reduce their chance of developing mental health difficulties. In Canada, a wide range of curricula, frameworks, initiatives, and programs have been put in place that address elements of SEL. In this paper, a sampling of these drawn from across the country is described. The emphasis on SEL apparent in many provinces and territories is evidence of the shared understanding of its importance with respect to improving student outcomes. However, a lack of evidence to support these approaches, inconsistencies in terms of terminology and practices, the lack of alignment between SEL and academics, and the piecemeal approach adopted within some provinces leave SEL and mental health promotion approaches vulnerable to being labelled "add-ons" and becoming transient initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]