ACLU of R.I. report outlines ‘alarming’ suspension rates among K-5 students

THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES Union of Rhode Island on Monday unveiled a new report highlighting that suspension rates among K-5 students are at an
THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES Union of Rhode Island on Monday unveiled a new report highlighting that suspension rates among K-5 students are at an "alarming" rate.

PROVIDENCE – A new report released Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island Inc. outlines a significant amount of school suspensions meted out to the state’s public elementary school students, including kindergarteners that the advocacy nonprofit labels as “alarming.”

Additionally, the ACLU of Rhode Island in the report also pointed out high suspension rates adversely affecting students of color.

Stay Ahead of Winter Respiratory Illnesses: Expert Advice from South County Health Express Care Providers

As winter progresses, so does the season of respiratory illnesses. Colds, the flu, RSV, and…

Learn More

The report looks at three years’ worth of suspension data before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic from the 2016-17 academic year through 2018-19. The organization in the report says in each of those years, the disparate results were “consistent” for students of color and those with disabilities.

According to the report, 1,459 K-5 students were given out-of-school suspensions during the 2018-19 academic year. Those students lost 727 instructional days from suspensions given out because of what the ACLU of Rhode Island says in the report were “vague offenses.” Such offenses, the organization said were “insubordination” or “disrespect,” conduct that the ACLU said “one would expect elementary school teachers to address in a variety of ways that do not involve depriving a very young child of their education.”

- Advertisement -

Also, that same year, Black students over the course of two academic years were suspended at a rate “more than double” that would be expected for their population, the ACLU of Rhode Island said in the report. Comparatively, white students in that timeframe were suspended from school at half the rate.

The report also noted that current state law has provisions designed to limit out-of-school suspensions only for “serious misconduct” offenses and that schools are not meeting the standards of the law to curb unnecessary suspensions.

“The lack of annual reports submitted by school districts in accordance with this statute further indicates that a substantive review of discipline data is not occurring as it should, and that the law must be strengthened to ensure that schools are not unnecessarily and harmfully pushing students out of the classroom,” the report states.

The report also offers recommendations on how to curtail unnecessary school suspensions. Among them is having legislation to significantly curb the ability of schools to issue out-of-school suspensions to K-5 students, and to hold school districts more accountable in analyzing suspension data and responding to any disparities on the basis of race or disability that their data may show, the ACLU of Rhode Island said.

“In order to truly provide an equitable, uplifting, and educationally enriching school environment for all students in our state, we must make sure that no students are being inappropriately removed and excluded from the classroom,” ACLU of Rhode Island Policy Associate Hannah Stern said in a statement. “Normal adolescent misbehaviors or social-emotional needs should not be met with punishment. Rather, we must ensure that students have appropriate supports, and that discriminatory practices are being actively eradicated from schools.”

The full report can be read here.

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.

No posts to display