Examining the Impact of the Removal of Out-of-School Suspension on Student and School Outcomes

• In Event: Poster Session 17
  In Poster Session: Division L Graduate Student Poster Session

Abstract

School districts throughout the nation have been making major changes to their disciplinary policies. These reforms have generally pushed schools to limit the use of exclusionary discipline (e.g., out-of-school suspensions or expulsions) in favor of alternative interventions (e.g., PBIS). Following this trend, Seattle Public Schools placed a one-year moratorium on the use of suspensions for elementary school students for non-violent behavioral categories. The goal of the change was to support a more inclusive environment starting in elementary school and improve school engagement among all students. Furthermore, the district cited concerns over the disproportional use of exclusionary discipline towards minority students. Using detailed discipline data from Seattle Public Schools, I examine the impacts of the moratorium on student and school outcomes.

Author

• Alec Kennedy, University of Washington