State Headquarters:1225 South Weller Street, Suite 420Seattle, WA 98144(206) 322-2444

Offices in King, Pierce, Snohomish, Yakima and Spokane Countiesquestions@teamchild.org www.teamchild.org

Reclaiming Students: The educational and economic costs of exclusionary discipline

A joint report by TeamChild and Washington Appleseed

Background

• Report is a statewide look at school discipline

• Based on data collection from 2009-2010 school year

• Available for free download:– www.teamchild.org– www.waappleseed.org/Reclaiming-Stude

nts.html

Finding 1

• Exclusionary discipline negatively impacted academic success and a student’s relationship with the educational system

– Higher discipline rates were associated with higher drop out rates.

– Significant loss of instructional time.

Finding 2

• The vast majority of disciplined students did not receive educational services for the duration of their exclusion.

– Only 7% of students were reported to have received educational services while excluded from school.

Finding 3

• Exclusionary discipline practices disproportionately impacted students of color and youth living in poverty. – More students of color and low income

students were excluded from school.– Students of color and low income

students were also less likely to receive educational services during periods of discipinary exclusion.

Finding 4

• Reliance on exclusionary discipline practices varied significantly from district to district, even among districts with similar demographic characteristics.

Finding 5

• Discipline data yielded only a partial picture of the number of students impacted by exclusionary discipline practices each year in Washington public schools.

Recommendations

• Reduce out of school exclusions• Provide educational services• End indefinite exclusions• Adopt and follow recommendations to

reduce disproportionality.• Require districts to retrieve and reengage

students• Improve data collection• Work collectively