CPS severe-infraction suspension reduction reform and schoolwide outcome measures¶

Element · All elements
Evidence · 7 claims (7 for) · 4 studies (3 associational, 1 causal), q2 · 0 of 4 report an effect size · 7 claims rest on one study

Description¶

A district-level discipline reform in Chicago Public Schools between 2009-10 and 2013-14, studied via the percent of severe infractions resulting in an out-of-school suspension per school per year. Severe infractions include "weapon or drug possession, theft or burglary, extortion, and fighting with injuries or more than two participants." Outcomes were standardized test scores, GPA, attendance, and My Voice, My School survey measures of perceived safety and school climate, analyzed for all CPS high school students excluding selective enrollment and charter schools.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Officially reported behavioral infractions and disciplinary actions across schools, with analysis focused on the highest-level infractions most likely to be reported consistently

Constraints¶

• Findings apply to the reform period 2008-09 through 2013-14 in CPS high schools, excluding selective enrollment and charter schools

Target Learners¶

• all students in Chicago Public Schools high schools

Target Learning Goals¶

• school safety, attendance, test scores, GPA, and school climate under changed discipline practice

Claims¶

• Reduced suspension use was associated with increased attendance of roughly one additional day per year per student, rising to about three days in schools serving predominantly Black students [+W]
• Perceived safety changes under reduced suspension use varied by school racial composition: a small decline in predominantly Latino schools and a similar-sized but non-significant improvement in predominantly Black schools [+W]
• Students at highest estimated risk of suspension felt safer when suspensions were reduced, while students at lowest risk saw the largest test score gains, with no evidence of overall academic harm [+W]
• School climate improved in predominantly Black schools but declined in predominantly Latino and racially diverse schools as suspension use for severe infractions fell [+W]
• A subset of about a quarter of Chicago high schools and 10 percent of middle-grades schools have very high suspension rates, almost all predominantly serving African-American students [+W]
• Schools with higher suspension rates have worse climates for learning, even compared to schools serving similar student populations [+W]
• Out-of-school suspension rates in CPS high schools declined each year from 24 percent in 2009-10 to 16 percent in 2013-14 [+W]

Related Elements¶

Examples¶

• Provide schools, administrators, and teachers with supports and resources when curbing suspension use

Key Sources¶

• Rebecca Hinze-Pifer and Lauren Sartain. (2015). Rethinking Universal Suspension for Severe Student Behavior. Stanford University and University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu