Ban Out of School Suspension
Eliminate Out of School Suspensions (OSS) For Pre-K Through 3rd Grade
Current Reality
In the state of Missouri, black students are disproportionately more likely to be disciplined in schools and taken out of the classroom. These practices have devastating effects, as students who are suspended or expelled for discretionary violations are twice as likely to repeat a grade, are more likely to drop out of school, and have a higher probability of coming into contact with the juvenile justice system. The racial discrepancy in school discipline significantly affects the youngest and most vulnerable students in preschool and elementary grades. In 2015, Missouri had the nation’s highest suspension rate of black students in elementary school. In that same year, Missouri schools expelled preschoolers more frequently than 42 other states.
Solution/Strategy
In order to change the lived experience of young people entering the classroom in the St Louis region, school districts need to change their discipline policy. Specifically, we call for a ban on pre-K to 3rd grade out of school suspension. Teachers and students need to be set up to succeed under a new discipline policy. We also call on and support districts as they implement trauma-informed care, restorative justice, and anti-bias/anti-racist practices.