Surviving Zero Tolerance: Using Survival Analysis to Estimate the Effect of Zero-Tolerance Discipline Policies

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Abstract

This study focuses how zero tolerance disciplinary policies impact diverse students. We used records provided by the State Department of Education to analyze all incidents of secondary students resulting in suspension from school in a medium-sized metropolitan region. We analyze this data using survival analysis techniques (Singer & Willett, 1993; 1995; 2003) in order to analyze both whether and when students are suspended from school. We find that Black special education students were at most risk of suspension from school and most at risk of earlier suspension following the expansion of a zero-tolerance policy.

Authors

• Stephen Hoffman, Harvard University

• George Theoharis, Syracuse University