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Kirkwood reports fewer out-of-school suspensions; tardies and disparities remain concerns
Summary
District data show a steady decline in out-of-school suspensions (OSS) and a decrease in some subgroup gaps, but office referrals remain high and Black students and students with IEPs continue to be overrepresented among referrals and consequences, district staff told the board.
Dr. Bailey, the district official who presented the student-discipline report on July 28, told the board that out-of-school suspensions (OSS) decreased while in-school suspensions (ISS) rose modestly, and that tardies account for a large share of office referrals at the high school.
“We did see a nice decrease in our OSS,” Dr. Bailey said, while also noting that overall office referrals rose from 2,234 to 2,772 year over year. She told the board that 106 office referrals resulted in OSS and that only 1.1 percent of students districtwide received an OSS (about 65 students), meaning 98.9 percent were not suspended out of school during the year.
The presentation highlighted persistent disproportionalities: Black students represent 8.7 percent of district enrollment but about 30 percent of referrals; students with individualized education programs (IEPs) represent about 13.5 percent of enrollment but accounted for roughly 30.6 percent of referrals and a larger share of suspensions. Dr. Bailey said some of the higher OSS rates for students with IEPs are attributable to behaviors connected to disabilities, and she referenced the federal “manifestation” protections that apply once a student reaches the 10-day OSS threshold.
Tardies were a central focus. Dr. Bailey reported that many office referrals were coded for tardies or skipping class; the high school’s discipline scheme issues warnings for tardies 1–9, a one-hour detention for tardies 10–19, and ISS after 20 tardies in a semester. The presenter estimated 172 ISS incidents were tied to tardies and noted the district lacks a discrete tardy discipline code now; a policy first reading later on the agenda proposes adding one to improve tracking.
Dr. Bailey cited district efforts that may be contributing to reductions in OSS: restorative-practices training for staff, trauma-informed professional development, use of CEIS (coordinated early intervening services) funds with the Special School District, mentoring and alternative programming, and monthly review of referral data with principals. She emphasized that students in ISS remain in the building with access to counselors and special-education supports when feasible.
Board members pressed for clearer data and disaggregation. Mister Kathy recommended re-examining whether the board is tracking the most useful metric for the strategic plan and suggested looking at whether office-referral rates are being reduced or merely shifted to other consequences. Several members asked for additional breakdowns (by school level, by teacher/classroom, and by repeat referrals) to guide targeted interventions.
Dr. Bailey said the district can drill into EduCLIMBER data to extract time of day, building, and narrative reason for referrals, while acknowledging variability in how teachers author referrals. The board and administration agreed to continue the data review and to consider adjustments to metrics and strategies as part of ongoing work.
