The Risk of School Suspension by Race and Disability: A Survival Analysis Using Cox Regression

• In Event: Issues of Segregation and Disproportionality: Examining Patterns, Explanations, and Consequences

Abstract

Using survival analysis, the author estimated the time, in days, a sample of middle school students first experienced an out-of-school suspension, or survived the school year without being suspended from school. The results of a Cox regression showed substantial differences in risk by race and special education status, controlling for poverty and suspension history. Black male students had the highest risk of first suspension, followed by Black female students. Special education students were found to be at significantly higher risk than regular education students. The author demonstrated that seasonal variations in risk of first suspension were substantial. Students were at highest risk at the end of the school year.
Keywords: School suspensions, race, special education, survival analysis, Cox regression 

Author

• Stephen Hoffman, Harvard University