Students with disabilities are overrepresented in school discipline: 16 percent of enrollment but 25–28 percent of suspensions and expulsions¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · qualitative r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2030: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Although students with disabilities were 16 percent of national enrollment in 2018, they made up 25 percent of in-school suspensions, 28 percent of out-of-school suspensions, and 25 percent of expulsions. → Arnold 2025

Evidence¶

Arnold 2025¶

Arnold, J., Hayes, S., & Zagata, E. (2025). Leading inclusive, coherent, and effective assessment systems: Closing opportunity and outcome gaps for students with disabilities. WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED673562

q2 · i? · qualitative · r2

The brief cites federal civil rights data showing discipline disproportionality: students with disabilities were "16 percent of the total national enrollment population in 2018" yet 25–28 percent of suspensions and expulsions, and were also overrepresented among restraint and seclusion cases.

"Although students with disabilities represented 16 percent of the total national enrollment population in 2018, they made up 25 percent of students who received an in-school suspension, 28 percent of students who received an out-of-school suspension, and 25 percent of students who were expelled (ED, 2021)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Learning Disabilities and Developmental Differences — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Students with disabilities are suspended at more than twice the rate of students without disabilities, and Black students with disabilities face the highest risk at 19% — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Students of color and students with disabilities are disproportionately suspended and referred to law enforcement relative to their enrollment — related
• Exclusionary discipline disproportionately affects students of color from low-income families and students with disabilities, who receive harsher penalties than peers for similar behaviors — a broader claim this one bears on
• School resource officers have limited effects on school safety and increase suspensions, expulsions, police referrals, and arrests, with larger negative effects for Black students and students with disabilities — related