Did you know that students with disabilities missed out on 3,145, 559 days of learning due to out-of-school suspensions in the 2017-2018 school year? Shockingly, students with disabilities are suspended at rates almost double than that of their peers without. 

When you are planning to send your child to school, one rarely thinks of the amount of time they could possibly spend outside of school, not learning, due to suspension and biased discipline practices. 

What does cross your mind is sending them to an environment that is clean and safe. You want them to be challenged academically and exposed to rigorous curriculum. Hopefully the school your child attends can be close to your home, allowing you to feel connected to the community. You might review the qualifications of the educators and administrators before sending your little one into a new learning environment. You may even go as far as looking up the school online to read through reviews/comments about the school, its educators, and its overall “rating”. The behavior policy may also be something you review, wanting to ensure your children will be in a fair environment with clear behavioral expectations.  

One item not many parents review prior to selecting a learning environment for their child is the rate of suspension for students that belong to the same subgroup as their child. For families in Durham who have a child with a disability, a review of the aforementioned indicator may send them running for the hallways of private schools or even homeschool. 

For the past 6 years, since 2018, Black Male students and students with disabilities have received in-school suspensions and short-term suspensions at higher rates across the board in DPS.  (Subgroup data was not provided for long-term suspensions.) While the rate at which students with disabilities have been denied access to school has fluctuated over the past 6 school years, from 15% to 12%, down to 9% and then back up to 13%, it has remained significantly higher for students with disabilities than for their counterparts without.

The impact of children being excluded from school and learning is significant. Students are more likely to develop a negative perception of self, as well as a negative relationship with school in general. Plus, one incident that results in a suspension from school often leads to additional suspensions, more time not learning or socializing, school-based arrests, and even school dropout.  

The long-term effects of being excessively excluded from learning environments, peer relationships, and academic and emotional support are vast. Exclusion from a healthy learning environment causes a lowered sense of belonging, poor grades and mental health, and could lead to drug use and criminal victimization and/or involvement. Being shut out from school and learning could also lead to increased conflicts outside of school, and even incarceration. Excessive discipline resulting in learning loss and suspensions also interferes with a student’s ability to get accepted into college.

The solution for deterring excessive suspension and the exclusion of subgroups of students begins with district wide initiatives and the commitment of dedicated educators. Trauma informed training and de-escalation professional learning are necessary to prepare educators on the proper ways of supporting students with disabilities. Additionally, the successful transition to and implementation of restorative practice frameworks and the SEL implementation rubric benefit students with disabilities exponentially.  

School is a place where childhood happens. We can all agree that every child, whatever their ability, color, background or zip code, has the right to learn in a supportive environment that respects their humanity, upholds their dignity, and responds fairly to mistakes and missteps.

Healthy, safe education environments that provide a foundation for educational success for all children, should be accessible to all children. In DPS, there is a clear pattern to how students are excluded from school through discipline and suspensions. This pattern is consistent with differences in ability and must stop.

Additional Reading: 

‘Handcuffed and Pushed Out’: How Schools Fail Some Students With Disabilities 

– Brooke Schultz

Contributors: Vanessa Clinton and Mavreen Nanton Scott