NCJ Number
209609
Journal
CURA Reporter Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Dated: Winter 2005 Pages: 22-24
Date Published
2005
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This study examined racial disparities in suspension rates and policies and the impact of suspensions on test scores for four Minneapolis public schools.
Abstract
The study involved both a qualitative review of suspension policies for Minneapolis public schools and a quantitative analysis of the relationship between sixth-grade suspension rates and seventh-grade scores on the practice Minnesota Basic skills Test (MBST). The study compared the test score means for suspended versus nonsuspended students by racial group. It found that for African-American and White students, being suspended correlated with lower scores on both the math and reading portions of the MBST, compared with students of the same racial group who had not been suspended. For American-Indian students, being suspended correlated with lower scores for the math portion of the test, but there was no statistically significant difference in reading scores. No statistically significant differences were observed in either math or reading scores for Latino or Asian students who had been suspended compared with those who had not been suspended. After controlling for other factors, the study concluded that the overall effect of suspension on test scores was significant but too small to make the claim that the racial disparity in suspension rates was the cause of racial gaps in test scores. This finding, however, does not mitigate the fact that there were large racial disparities in suspension rates in the schools and that suspension policies are not uniformly applied throughout the district. Policymakers should assess suspension regulations with a focus on their specificity and differences in how they are implemented among district schools.