School to Prison Pipeline: Decriminalizing Public Education
Channel: New America
Date: 2018-05-16

Students of color and with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by exclusionary discipline practices. New data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reveals that Black and Latino students are twice as likely to be pushed out of school. During the 2015–16 school year, Black students represented 15 percent of the total student enrollment, and 31 percent of the students who were referred to law enforcement or arrested. And, students with disabilities represented 12 percent of the overall student enrollment and 28 percent of the students referred to law enforcement or arrested.

These disparities in school discipline practices start early. A 2014 OCR report found that while Black children make up 18 percent of pre-K enrollment, they represent 48 percent of pre-K children receiving more than one out-of-school suspension. 

In 2014, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice released guidance to help states, districts, and schools address their use of exclusionary discipline and begin to implement research-based practices to promote positive school climate with a focus on civil rights.

The Trump Administration has floated the idea of revoking this guidance. What will that mean for students of color and with disabilities? How can advocates continue to shine a light on the disparate impact of exclusionary discipline practices? 

Please join New America, the National Black Child Development Institute, and the Greater Washington Urban League for a conversation on the school to prison pipeline.

Follow the conversation online using #NBCDW18 and #RethinkDiscipline and by following @NewAmericaEd, @NBCDI, and @GWUL365.

Participants: 

Tyra Mariani, @tyram25 
Executive Vice President, New America 

Dr. Andre Perry, @andreperryedu 
David M. Rubenstein Fellow, Brookings Institution 

Dr. Ivory Toldson, @toldson 
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Negro Education 
Professor, Howard University School of Education 

Anise Walker 
School Climate Specialist & Restorative Justice Coordinator, District of Columbia Public Schools 

Moderator: 

Ameshia Cross, @ameshiacross 
Director of Policy and External Relations, National Black Child Development Institute and Civic Engagement Chair of Thursday Network, Greater Washington Urban League Young Professionals

This New America event is co-sponsored with the National Black Child Development Institute and the Greater Washington Urban League. This event was made possible due to the generous support from the W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation and the Alliance for Early Success. 

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