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Committee reviews disproportionate suspensions; staff to produce disaggregated data and pilot steps
Summary
Members discussed a district review of disproportionate in-school and out-of-school suspensions for students with disabilities and for African American students, and directed staff to gather school- and grade-level disaggregated data and to pursue immediate and fall-term interventions.
The Instruction and Support Services Committee on March 26 reviewed district concerns over a disproportionate number of suspensions affecting students with disabilities and African American students and asked staff to provide a deeper, school-by-school data analysis and to pilot immediate interventions.
Why it matters: Committee members said the district's suspension data indicates a pattern the committee wants to address promptly because it affects special education students' access to services and may reflect broader disparities for African American students, particularly males in the ninth grade.
Discussion summary: Committee members and district staff described a recent meeting among administrators and supervisors that examined suspension and expulsion procedures, the district code of conduct and special education requirements. Staff said the group identified short-term steps the district can take this spring while planning systemic changes for the fall.
Suggested steps discussed included: highlighting special-education-related policies and procedural safeguards in suspension letters and family communications; translating informational materials into multiple languages; adding housing insecurity as a consideration when determining in-school suspension (ISS) versus out-of-school suspension (OSS); ensuring students with disabilities receive required services during ISS/OSS and that administrators document service delivery; reinforcing reentry meetings after ISS/OSS to plan supports; and offering additional professional development and tiered intervention toolboxes to teachers and administrators.
Data direction: Committee Chair Rob Traver and others asked staff to return with disaggregated data that distinguishes (a) whether suspensions reflect multiple incidents by a few individual students or many students with single incidents, (b) school-by-school and grade-by-grade patterns (committee members singled out ninth grade), and (c) month-to-month trends to identify seasonal spikes. Staff agreed to produce that deeper dive and report at the next committee meeting.
Next steps: Staff will implement immediate communication improvements (including parent-facing one-pagers and ensuring parental receipt of procedural safeguards), reinforce that students with disabilities must receive services while suspended, and schedule reentry planning and staff professional development. The committee scheduled a follow-up data review at the next meeting to determine whether further systemic action is needed.
