OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS HAVE NO ACADEMIC BENEFIT

OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS HAVE NO ACADEMIC BENEFIT

National data on suspensions and expulsions show that out-of-school suspension is not only a frequently used option for managing student discipline, but is also applied disproportionately with students in particular subgroup populations, including race, gender and disability status.

Research also indicates that frequent use of out-of-school suspensions is often associated with low achievement, increased risk for dropping out and a greater likelihood of juvenile justice involvement. In other words, out-of-school suspensions do the exact opposite of what they are intended to do.  

Even so, according to data collected by the California Department of Education, during the 2009/2010 school year, California schools issued 765,000 out-of-school suspensions. That’s enough students suspended out-of-school to fill every seat in all the professional baseball and football stadiums in the state, with no guarantee of any adult supervision.

As shocking as these statistics are, the point remains that if, however, out-of-school suspensions are making schools safer and more productive for the non-suspended students thus enabling them to stay in school longer, learn more, and graduate at higher rates then, perhaps the collateral damage can be justified. They do not.

States with higher suspension rates have lower NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scores in math, reading, and writing. Also, higher suspending schools have below average test scores compared to scores in demographically similar schools.

The quagmire remains how do we get students to spend more time in school while also keeping the school environment safe and productive so all students can learn.  The solution is a school wide positive behavior support system. It is a decision-making framework that guides selection, integration and implementation of the best evidenced-based practices for improving behavior outcomes for all students.

One way to begin this process is through a school climate survey of staff and students to assess school safety, fairness and clarity of rules and behavior expectations. This information should be shared with parents and other stakeholders in the community. Once new programs and interventions have been implemented, they should be regularly evaluated for effectiveness. 

The goal is to review resources that can be used to monitor district/school behavior data, identify current site/district practices that provide additional interventions and support and engage in conversations that lead to improved outcomes for students. You can be part of the solution by asking for your children's school suspension policy and data regarding which students are being suspended and why. For example, you may want to know if students can be suspended for a non-violent infraction. If so, perhaps there could be an in-house suspension policy in place. 

 

Victor Hugo, writing in the 19^th Century, maintained, “He who opens a school door, closes a prison.” This shrewd adage holds true today.

Contact Margaret Lavin at elementarydays@gmail.com.