What’s in a Suspension Period? How Students Spend Their Time

• In Event: New Perspectives on School Punishment and Security

Abstract

This paper explores an understudied question regarding suspension periods: “How do students spend their time while suspended?” We use a national dataset of parent responses to investigate the suspension periods, asking specifically about whether the student (a) received homework or at-home assignments, (b) had adult supervision, and/or (c) got into additional trouble while suspended. We investigate differences by student race/ethnicity, gender, and grade level. We also assess whether adult supervision predicts additional trouble in school. Perhaps surprisingly, a significant portion of suspended students did not receive any additional work to complete at home, did not have adult supervision while suspended, and got into additional trouble. These findings support prior research finding that suspended students often fall behind in school, and it lends understanding to finding that suspensions are related to subsequent delinquency. We elucidate our quantitative findings with a content analysis and excerpts from narratives provided by parents.

Authors

• Jiyeon Goo, University of Florida

• Julie Gerlinger, University of Oklahoma

• Chris Curran, University of Florida