Breaking: New GAO Report Shows Disparities in School Discipline for Children With Disabilities #school discipline
A new report issued by the Government Accountability Office released today found that Black students, boys, and students with disabilities were disproportionately disciplined (e.g., suspensions and expulsions) in K-12 public schools, according to GAO's analysis of Department of Education (Education) national civil rights data for school year 2013-14, the most recent available. These disparities were widespread and persisted regardless of the type of disciplinary action, level of school poverty, or type of public school attended. For example, Black students accounted for 15.5 percent of all public school students, but represented about 39 percent of students suspended from school—an overrepresentation of about 23 percentage points (see figure). The report found that children with disabilities were overrepresented in disciplinary actions by 13.2 percent. Here is a quote from the report "For students with disabilities, the same pattern of disproportionately higher rates of disci...