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GAO-18-258, Accessible Version, K-12 EDUCATION: Discipline

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GAO-18-258, Accessible Version, K-12 EDUCATION: Discipline United States Government Accountability Office Report to Congression al Requesters March 2018 K-12 EDUCATION Discipline Disparities for Black Students, Boys, and Students with Disabilities Accessible Version GAO-18-258 March 2018 K-12 EDUCATION Discipline Disparities for Black Students, Boys, and Students with Disabilities Highlights of GAO-18-258, a report to congressional requesters Why GAO Did This Study What GAO Found Research has shown that students Black students, boys, and students with disabilities were disproportionately who experience discipline that disciplined (e.g., suspensions and expulsions) in K-12 public schools, according removes them from the classroom are to GAO’s analysis of Department of Education (Education) national civil rights more likely to repeat a grade, drop out data for school year 2013-14, the most recent available. These disparities were of school, and become involved in the widespread and persisted regardless of the type of disciplinary action, level of juvenile justice system. Studies have school poverty, or type of public school attended. For example, Black students shown this can result in decreased accounted for 15.5 percent of all public school students, but represented about earning potential and added costs to 39 percent of students suspended from school—an overrepresentation of about society, such as incarceration and lost 23 percentage points (see figure). tax revenue. Education and Justice are responsible for enforcing federal civil Students Suspended from School Compared to Student Population, by Race, Sex, and rights laws that prohibit discrimination Disability Status, School Year 2013-14 in the administration of discipline in public schools. GAO was asked to review the use of discipline in schools. To provide insight into these issues, this report examines (1) patterns in disciplinary actions among public schools, (2) challenges selected school districts reported with student behavior and how they are approaching school discipline, and (3) actions Education and Justice have taken to identify and address disparities or discrimination in school discipline. GAO analyzed discipline data from nearly all public schools for school year 2013-14 from Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection; Note: Disparities in student discipline such as those presented in this figure may support a finding of interviewed federal and state officials, discrimination, but taken alone, do not establish whether unlawful discrimination has occurred. as well as officials from a total of 5 Officials GAO interviewed in all five school districts in the five states GAO visited districts and 19 schools in California, reported various challenges with addressing student behavior, and said they Georgia, Massachusetts, North Dakota, and Texas. We selected these were considering new approaches to school discipline. They described a range districts based on disparities in of issues, some complex—such as the effects of poverty and mental health suspensions for Black students, boys, issues. For example, officials in four school districts described a growing trend of or students with disabilities, and behavioral challenges related to mental health and trauma. While there is no diversity in size and location. We also one-size-fits-all solution for the issues that influence student behavior, officials reviewed federal laws and a non- from all five school districts GAO visited were implementing alternatives to generalizable sample of seven recently disciplinary actions that remove children from the classroom, such as initiatives resolved federal school discipline that promote positive behavioral expectations for students. investigations (selected in part based on the type of alleged discrimination). Education and the Department of Justice (Justice) documented several actions We incorporated technical comments taken to identify and address school discipline issues. For example, both from the agencies as appropriate. agencies investigated cases alleging discrimination. Further, to help identify persistent disparities among the nation’s schools, Education collects View GAO-18-258. For more information, comprehensive data on school discipline every other year through its Civil Rights contact Jacqueline M. Nowicki at (617) 788- Data Collection effort. 0580 or [email protected]. United States Government Accountability Office Contents Letter 1 Background 4 Black Students, Boys, and Those with Disabilities Were Disproportionately Disciplined Regardless of Type of Discipline, Level of School Poverty, or Type of School 12 Five Selected Districts Reported Changing Their Approach to Discipline in Order to Address Student Behavior Challenges 22 Education and Justice Identify and Address School Discipline Issues by Investigating Cases, Analyzing Data, and Providing Guidance and Support 31 Agency Comments, Third Party Views, and Our Evaluation 40 Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 43 Appendix II: Maps of Disciplinary Actions by School District 61 Appendix III: Key Federal Resources Related to Student Behavior and School Discipline 67 Appendix IV: Additional Discipline and Discipline-Related Data Tables 72 Appendix V: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 93 Appendix VI: Accessible Data 94 Data Tables 94 Tables Table 1: Definitions of Public School Types, School Year 2013-14 6 Table 2: Student Enrollment in K-12 Public Schools, by Level of School Poverty, School Year 2013-14 8 Table 3: Federal Agencies Responsible for Enforcing Federal Civil Rights Laws in Public Schools 10 Table 4: Disciplinary Actions Used in Analysis of the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 45 Table 5: Race and Ethnicity Variables Used in Analysis of the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 46 Page i GAO-18-258 School Discipline Table 6: Number and Percent of Public School Students and Schools by School Poverty Level, School Year 2013-14 47 Table 7: Definitions of Public School Types, School Year 2013-14 47 Table 8: Number and Percent of Public School Students and Schools by School Type, School Year 2013-14 48 Table 9: Variables Included in Our Regression Model 51 Table 10: Associations of Regression Model Variables with K-12 Public School Disciplinary Outcomes, School Year 2013- 14 54 Table 11: Descriptive Information on Selected Public School Districts, School Year 2013-14 57 Table 12: Number and Percent of K-12 Public School Students Who Received Disciplinary Actions, by Student Sex and Race, School Year 2013-14 73 Table 13: Number and Percent of K-12 Public School Students Who Received Disciplinary Actions, by Student Disability Status, School Year 2013-14 75 Table 14: Number and Percent of K-12 Public School Students Who Received Disciplinary Actions, by Level of School Poverty, School Year 2013-14 76 Table 15: Number and Percent of K-12 Public School Students Who Received Disciplinary Actions, by Type of Public School, School Year 2013-14 79 Table 16: Number and Percent of K-12 Public School Students Who Received Disciplinary Actions, by Grade Level, School Year 2013-14 82 Table 17: Number and Percent of Pre-school Public School Students Suspended Out of School, by Student and School Characteristics, School Year 2013-14 83 Table 18: Number and Percent of K-12 Public School Students Who Were Restrained or Secluded, by Student and School Characteristics, School Year 2013-14 85 Table 19: Number and Percent of K-12 Public School Students Who Were Chronically Absent, by Student and School Characteristics, School Year 2013-14 88 Table 20: Number and Percent of K-12 Public Schools Reporting the Presence of a School Counselor or Law Enforcement Officer, by School Characteristics, School Year 2013-14 90 Table 21: Number and Percent of K-12 Public School Students Disciplined for Engaging in Harassment or Bullying, by Student Characteristics, School Year 2013-14 91 Data Table for Highlights Figure 94 Page ii GAO-18-258 School Discipline Data Table for Figure 1: Student Enrollment in K-12 Public Schools, by Sex, Race, and Disability Status, School Year 2013-14 94 Data Table for Figure 2: Representation of Students Who Received Disciplinary Actions Compared to Overall Student Population, by Student Race or Ethnicity, School Year 2013-14 95 Data Table for Figure 3: Rates of Out-of-School Suspensions, by Student Race or Ethnicity and Sex, School Year 2013-14 95 Data Table for Figure 4: Boys’ Overrepresentation Among Students Who Received Disciplinary Actions, School Year 2013-14 95 Data Table for Figure 5: Students with Disabilities’ Overrepresentation Among Students Who Received Disciplinary Actions, School Year 2013-14 96 Data Table for Figure 6: Representation of Students Suspended Out-of-School Compared to Student Population, by Level of School Poverty, School Year 2013-14 96 Data Table for Figure 7: Representation of Students Suspended Out-of-School Compared to Student Population, by School Type, School Year 2013-14 97 Figures Figure 1: Student Enrollment in K-12 Public Schools, by Sex, Race, and Disability Status, School Year 2013-14 7 Figure 2: Representation of Students Who Received Disciplinary Actions Compared to Overall Student Population, by Student Race or Ethnicity, School Year 2013-14 14 Figure 3: Rates of Out-of-School Suspensions, by Student Race or Ethnicity and Sex, School Year 2013-14 15 Figure 4: Boys’ Overrepresentation Among Students Who Received Disciplinary Actions, School Year 2013-14 16 Figure 5: Students with Disabilities’ Overrepresentation Among Students Who Received Disciplinary Actions, School Year 2013-14 17 Figure 6: Representation
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