Racial Disproportionality in School Discipline and the School-to-Prison Pipeline

The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2011-2012 school-year statistics show disturbing racial disproportionality, particularly for African-American students. Although African-Americans represent 15% of students in the CRDC, they make up 35% of students suspended once, 44% of those suspended more than once, and 36% of students expelled. Further, over 50% of students involved in school-related arrests or referred to law enforcement are children of color.

The increasing use of disciplinary practices such as out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, or referrals to law enforcement impacts educational outcomes, and may contribute to what has been termed the “school to prison pipeline.” Fewer than 5% of out-of-school suspensions result from mandatory offenses (alcohol, drugs, weapons); 95% are discretionary actions.

AASA, the School Superintendents Association, collaborates with the Children’s Defense Fund, in a partnership funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies, to reduce racial disproportionality in school discipline and to reduce the over-use of out-of-school suspension and expulsion. The goal of educators and community members should be, wherever possible, to prevent children from interacting with juvenile justice and law enforcement, not to supplement school security and discipline procedures with these agencies. AASA is working with ten school districts to examine discipline data and alter policy and practice. As a result, Racine Unified School District has already had 700 fewer suspensions in the 2013-2014 school-year than at this point last year.

This session will offer alternatives to suspension and expulsion in an effort to reduce the number of African-American children losing instructional time and interacting with the justice system.