Essay: Impact of school suspension on student academic success

School suspension can have a detrimental impact on student academic success. When students are sent home for an extended period of time they are missing out on valuable class time and in-turn slightly diminishing their likelihood of graduating from high school. Moreover, minority students, especially African American students, have long faced racial disparities that have contributed to their high rates of suspension. School districts in California have slowly been enacting state and local policy to eliminate these disparities, in addition to promoting institutional shifts towards restorative justice and alternatives to suspension.
This paper will examine literature on the effects that suspension can have on a students’ academic advancement and behavioral outcome, especially for urban and minority students. It will also examine the school suspension and expulsion practices and policies within one California school district in particular, the Fresno Unified School District. It will consider the policies for this district in addition to studies on the impact of suspension on the local economic impact within Fresno County. Finally, this paper will consider the role of restorative justice efforts within the Fresno Unified School District and the effectiveness at reducing school expulsion and what role school counselors can play.
Literature Review
The relationship between suspension and the impact on academic success has been well documented. Long standing research has shown that school suspensions are harmful to the students because it removes students from learning the education that need to succeed in the future (Kaeser, 1979). Frequent absences from the classroom has also been linked to higher dropout rates, which can have lifelong effects on a persons employment and earning potential (Ginsburg, Chang, & Jordan, 2014). An additional study by Arcia (2006) found that suspended students have lower reading levels in comparison to students that have never been suspended. The research also found that the gap in reading achievement widens the more a student is suspended.
Suspension has also been correlated to higher risk of students getting in trouble. Costenbader & Markson (1998) found that suspended students are more likely to be involved in the juvenile justice system outside of school. Even just one suspension has been associated with a higher likelihood of academic failure, school dropout, and involvement in the juvenile justice system (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2013; Hemphrill, Toumbourou, Herrenkohl, McMorris, & Catalano, 2006). Yet, research indicates that most suspension is based on deviancy in the classroom or insubordination, rather than violence or the threat of violence (Skiba, Peterson, & Williams, 1997). Ultimately, students are often suspended for offenses that based on behavior rather that acts or threat of violence.
When it comes to school suspensions, low socioeconomic status (SES) students are suspended at the highest rates, with minorities more likely to be suspended in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups- African American students are at the top of the pillar for school suspension (Arcia, 2006; Kohistani, Dougherty, & Kolfas, 2015; Rudd 2014). Research has shown that African American students are more frequently suspended because of subjective disciplinary action and are more likely to be disciplined more severely for minor misconduct than any other racial group (Iselin, 2010). Yet, no research has indicated that African American students are engaged in more school misconduct and violent behavior that any other race. While it has been assumed that because many African American students have lower socioeconomic status (SES), their economic background and home life contributes to more disruptive behavior in the school settings which accounts for their high rate of suspension- this has not been validated in any research study. Historically, this racial imbalance in school suspension goes back to the era of Brown v Board of Education, segregation, and Jim Crow Laws, which created zero-tolerance policies for discipline in education, however the racial dimensions of schools, with regard to suspension, demonstratives barriers that prevent total inclusiveness (Kirkman, McNees, Stickl, Banner, & Hewitt, 2016). This type of racial discrimination still exists within school systems today.
Student Suspension Impact
California. Within the state of California, a study followed 10 grade students though high schools for three years, and found that students that were suspended only have a 60 percent graduation rate, in comparison to the 83 percent graduation rate for non-suspended students (Rumberger & Losen, 2017). Visually, this amounted to more than 10,000 high school dropouts in California. Nationwide, in 2014, suspensions contributed to 67,000 students dropping out of high school. As previously discussed, students that do not graduate are at an increased risk of being involved in the legal system. Additionally, the Rumberger & Losen (2017) compared student risk factors that my prevent them from graduating (failed classes, low G.P.A.), but have never been suspended, with students that have the same risk factors present, that have been suspended, and found that suspension alone created a 6.5 percent drop in graduation rates.
This study also considered the impact suspension could have on the economy and researchers found that the amount of students that did not graduate because of suspension would cost California an estimated $2.7 billion in increased criminal justice costs and lower taxes over the course of their lifetime (Rumberger & Losen, 2017). The largest school districts incurred the greatest losses, with Los Angeles Unified School District accumulating $148 million in economic damage, Fresno Unified School District at $56 million, San Diego Unified School District at $38 million and San Francisco Unified School District and San Juan Unified School district at $13 million each (Rumberger & Losen, 2017). By monetizing the impact of school suspension on local and state economy, the researchers hoped to open discussion of the seriousness of the issues and promote change.
Fresno Unified School District. Within the Fresno Unified School District, data confirms that in the 2014-2015 school year African American students were suspended at a rate nearly three times higher than White or Latino students, even though African American students only account for 8 percent of the student body (California Department of Education, 2015). This figure means that 25 percent of all suspensions involved an African American student.
Implementations to Reduce Student Suspension
California. Schools districts in California have largely been implementing changes to school discipline and the results have been slowly showing. California has seen a drop in school suspension rates by 40 percent since the 2011-12 school year, which has largely been due to state and federal pressures and newly enacted policy. Between the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school year alone, rates of expulsion dropped by 20 percent and rates of suspension dropped by 15 percent (California Department of Education, 2015). Additionally in 2014, California terminated the use of “willful defiance” as a reason to expel students in K-12 or suspend students in K-3 (EdSource, 2018). School districts are now required to disclose their rates of suspension and expulsion when they disclose their report their annual Local Control and Accountability Plan. Further, school districts in California have been improving accountability in order to meet federal requirements that are required under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The ESSA was a revision on the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act from 2002, and was signed into law by President Obama in 2015. The ESSA included provisions that work to ensure success for students and schools, including advancing equity for disadvantaged and high-needs students and maintaining “the expectation that there will be accountability and action to effect positive change in our lowest-performing schools, where groups of students are not making progress, and where graduation rates are low over extended periods of time” (U.S. Department of Education, N.D).
Fresno Unified School District. Within the Fresno Unified School District suspension and expulsion rates have also decreased over the past five years as teachers and administrators have worked to provide intervention for student miss-behavior, rather than enforcing out-of-school suspension. Additionally, The California Endowment awarded Central Valley schools a two-year grant worth $504,182 to promote positive disciplinary practices within their district (Fresno State, N.D.). This was done through a partnership with UC Merced’s Central Valley Learning and Leadership Network, whom provided the districts with assistance in promoting and implementing polices that promote positive school discipline. The overall goal of the grant was to increase graduation rates and improve academic performance by reducing the numbers of suspension and expulsion, particularly among minority students.
In order to reduce that rate at which minority students, mostly African American students, are susceptible to racial disparities, including disproportionally higher rates of suspension and higher rates of school drop-out, Fresno Unified School District recently invested nearly $1 million to overcome and transform the school climate regarding race and racial bias (Fresno Bee, 2017). The school district plans to create a new position, with the primary role being to “promote a culture of equity and inclusion for African American students, families, employees, and community” and to carry out a mentoring and parent outreach program from the African American community (Fresno Bee, 2017). The reason for implementing this change is a result of a recent court case in Kern County in which the judge ruled that African American and Latino students are unfairly disciplined in schools. In 2014, Kern County had the highest number of student expulsion, and discriminatory policies were in place that led to minority students being disciplined more than double that of white students (Fresno Bee, 2017). In addition to monetary compensation for students impacted, the Kern County School District is not required to undergo training about stereotypes and race issues. Given the disparities that exist within their own district, the Fresno Unified School District has been taking proactive methods to create equity for all students.
Moving Forward
As a future school counselor is imperative to have an understanding of restorative justices and have polices in place that promote preventative approaches when student behavioral problems take place. Although exclusionary discipline practices continue to be used in response to a variety of student problem behaviors, research indicates that suspension is unlikely to change student conduct. Policies that have been set in motion in California and the Fresno Unified School District have taken measures to reduce suspensions and the racial disparities that exist. Research has also continued to explore methods that can be utilized to reduce high rates of suspensions. To best address problem behavior among students, it is critical that schools develop a responsive disciplinary system based on student behavior (Massar, McIntosh, & Eliason, 2015). Massar, McIntosh, and Eliason (2015) suggested that schools could reduce rates by (a) implementing evidence-based preventative approaches to problem behavior and (b) developing instructional alternatives to suspension when problem behavior occurs. Additionally, Peterson (2005) proposed the following alternatives to out-of-school suspension that focuses on the re-integration of students into the academic setting: (a) problem solving/contracting,  (b) restitution, (c) min-courses or skill modules, (d) parent involvement/supervision, (e) counseling, (f) community services, (g) behavior monitoring, (h) coordinated behavior plans, (i) alternative programming, and (j) in-school suspension.
Preventive practices help establish an environment where students are more likely to display appropriate, positive behavior and less likely to engage in problem behavior. When students do exhibit problem behavior, using instructional responses that are directed at teaching key social skills and re-integrating students into the academic setting, rather than removing them from it, can promote change in student behavior while reducing both the need for and the use of suspensions (Massar, McIntosh, & Eliason, 2015). In order to improve student academic achievement and success, counselors have a strong understanding of preventative practices, such as these to truly make an improvement.
Conclusion
Research and mandated reports on school suspension, including racial and ethic disparities, have made reducing suspension and creating equity a priority for California school districts, including Fresno Unified School District. Focuses have included increased training and support for teachers and alternative to suspension. While rates of suspension have slowly been lower, the concerns for racial disparities, especially among African American students, still exist. Further promotion towards restorative practices is necessary in order to better promote school safety and discipline, increase student academia, and lower dropout rates.