In recent years, school suspensions have risen dramatically among both middle and high school students across the U.S. More than two million students were suspended in the 2009 academic year, with boys of color and children with disabilities at the highests risks of suspension. Researchers have found that suspending children does not lead to better outcomes for students and instead leads to more drop- outs.
A new report from the UCLA Civil Rights Project titled "Out of School and Off Track" suggests that especially for black and Latino students, suspensions are a predictor of delinquency once children drop out of school. The authors of this report not only describe the growing use of punitive disciplinary measures and their consequences in detail, but also provide research-based alternatives that produce better outcomes for students. Daniel Losen, the lead author of the report talks more about his research on Tell Me More on NPR. To hear him speak, go to http://www.npr.org/2013/04/30/180065491/suspension-rates-shock-the-conscience-says-researcher To read more about this new report and the work of the UCLA Civil Rights Project, go tohttp://civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/news/press-releases/2013-press-releases/out-of-school-and-off-track-reports-detail-disturbing-and-increased-use-of-suspensions