Out-of-School Suspension and Expulsion

Abstract

The primary mission of any school system is to educate students. To achieve this goal, the school district must maintain a culture and environment where all students feel safe, nurtured, and valued and where order and civility are expected standards of behavior. Schools cannot allow unacceptable behavior to interfere with the school district' s primary mission. To this end, school districts adopt codes of conduct for expected behaviors and policies to address unacceptable behavior. In developing these policies, school boards must weigh the severity of the offense and the consequences of the punishment and the balance between individual and institutional rights and responsibilities. Out-of-school suspension and expulsion are the most severe consequences that a school district can impose for unacceptable behavior. Traditionally, these consequences have been reserved for offenses deemed especially severe or dangerous and/or for recalcitrant offenders. However, the implications and consequences of outof-school suspension and expulsion and "zero-tolerance" are of such severity that their application and appropriateness for a developing child require periodic review. The indications and effectiveness of exclusionary discipline policies that demand automatic or rigorous application are increasingly questionable. The impact of these policies on offenders, other children, school districts, and communities is broad. Periodic scrutiny of policies should be placed not only on the need for a better understanding of the educational, emotional, and social impact of out-of-school suspension and expulsion on the individual student but also on the greater societal costs of such rigid policies. Pediatricians should be prepared to assist students and families affected by out-of-school suspension and expulsion and should be willing to guide school districts in their communities to find more effective and appropriate alternatives to exclusionary discipline policies for the developing child. A discussion of preventive strategies and alternatives to out-of-school suspension and expulsion, as well as recommendations for the role of the physician in matters of out-of-school suspension and expulsion are included. School-wide positive behavior support/positive behavior intervention and support is discussed as an effective alternative. Pediatrics 2013;131:e1000-e1007 RATIONALE FOR OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSION AND EXPULSIONPerhaps no public institution more closely mirrors the community in which it is found than does the public school system. The school system comprises children from a wide variety of socioeconomic backgrounds COUNCIL ON SCHOOL HEALTH KEY WORDS suspension, expulsion, school, discipline ABBREVIATIONS AAP-American Academy of Pediatrics IEP-individualized education plan PBIS-positive behavior intervention and support SWBS-school-wide positive behavior support This document is copyrighted and is property of the American Academy of Pediatrics and its Board of Directors. All authors have filed conflict of interest statements with the A...

Stakeholder Perspectives about Developing and Implementing an Online Alternative to Out-of-School Suspension for First Time Substance Use Policy Violators

“…According to the American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP] Policy Statement, out-of-school suspension is counterproductive and leads to numerous negative outcomes for youth, communities and society as a whole [1]. Students who are suspended are more likely to drop out of high school, enter into the juvenile justice system, misuse substances, and experience declines in academic performance [1][2][3][4][5][6]. In addition, high school dropouts are then at higher risk for more health ailments and shorter life spans when compared to other youth who go on to graduate [1].…”

“…Students who are suspended are more likely to drop out of high school, enter into the juvenile justice system, misuse substances, and experience declines in academic performance [1][2][3][4][5][6]. In addition, high school dropouts are then at higher risk for more health ailments and shorter life spans when compared to other youth who go on to graduate [1]. Although there is strong evidence about the negative consequences of out-of-school suspension, rates continue to rise, and more than 18,000 students are suspended from public schools in the U.S. every day during the academic year [2].…”

“…Although there is strong evidence about the negative consequences of out-of-school suspension, rates continue to rise, and more than 18,000 students are suspended from public schools in the U.S. every day during the academic year [2]. In response to the growing numbers of suspension, which often occur for minor school policy infractions, the AAP has identified the desperate need of developing and implementing alternatives to the typical practice of out-of-school suspension for school policy infractions [1].…”

“…Out-of-school suspensions are considered "exclusionary" discipline because students are removed from their stable educational environments [1]. Suspension is therefore linked with negative school climates, increased rates of misconduct, and repeat offenders [11][12]22].…”

“…Schools with higher suspension rates have lower levels of overall student academic achievement. Out-of-school suspension is associated with increased rates of student involvement with the juvenile justice system, often termed "school to prison pipeline" [1,[4][5]12]. Implementing action plans that engage students in an alternative to out-of-school suspension have been shown to positively affect attendance rates, school involvement, and feelings of community engagement [26][27][28].…”