District policies discouraging suspensions show mixed effects: shortened suspensions were associated with improved attendance but worse school climate¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2014 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Shortening suspension length was associated with improved attendance but worse school climate, mostly affecting schools with the highest suspension rates. → Sartain 2014 q2 i? Restorative practices accompanying suspensions have a more positive association with climate in schools with lower suspension rates. → Sartain 2014 (2)

Evidence¶

Sartain 2014¶

Sartain, L., Allensworth, E., & Porter, S. (2014). Suspending Chicago's Students: Differences in Discipline across Schools. UChicago Consortium. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/suspending-chicagos-students-differences-discipline-practices-across-schools

q2 · i? · associational · r?

Observational analysis of district policy changes in Chicago. The report found shortening suspension length was "associated with improved attendance but worse school climate", with effects concentrated in high-suspending schools.

"Shortening the length of suspensions, which mostly affected schools with the highest suspension rates, was associated with improved attendance but worse school climate."

Sartain 2014 (2)¶

Sartain, L., Allensworth, E., & Porter, S. (2014). Suspending Chicago's Students: Differences in Discipline across Schools. UChicago Consortium. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/suspending-chicagos-students-differences-discipline-practices-across-schools

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Observational analysis of restorative justice practices alongside suspensions. The report found a more positive climate association in lower-suspending schools, suggesting implementation is harder where disciplinary problems are greatest.

"Restorative practices that accompany suspensions have a more positive association with climate in schools with lower suspension rates, suggesting that policy solutions are particularly difficult to implement effectively in schools with the most disciplinary problems."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Schools with higher suspension rates have worse climates for learning, even compared to schools serving similar student populations — related
• In schools that did not fully implement the district-level suspension reform, peer math achievement declined and attendance decreased — related
• Peer outcomes following a district suspension reform varied with school-level implementation — related
• Schools with high suspension rates are less safe than schools with lower suspension rates serving similar students — related
• Exclusionary discipline is ineffective at improving school safety and harms both suspended students and their non-suspended peers — related
• Attendance, but not academic achievement, improved for previously suspended students following the suspension reform — related
• School climate improved in predominantly Black schools but declined in predominantly Latino and racially diverse schools as suspension use for severe infractions fell — related