In 2005 there was a published study from Yale University that reported a disturbing trend in expulsions of pre-kindergarten children in state sponsored preschools. The numbers showed that the expulsion rate for African American pre-school boys was 4.5 times the rate of other students. Last month the Washington Post reported that in the Washington D.C. area, minority students are suspended and expelled at a rate that is two to five times higher than white students. For those of us who work as attorneys and advocates for children, these findings are not surprising.
Examining the causes of disproportionate treatment of minority children in school is not an exercise in simple cliché assumptions. If we are going to get serious about addressing the issue, I suggest that the first step is to acknowledge that disproportionate treatment is a problem. Many just accept it as the way things are in our current society.
A search for answers should include examining the attitudes of educators to the discipline of minority students. Socio- economic, extent of parental involvement, language and cultural factors also play a role. Let’s make sure teachers have the benefit of real and effective guidance and administrative support. Finally, let’s insist that schools actually implement the tested positive behavior intervention programs that have been shown to reduce overall expulsion rates – but are not used consistently by a majority of school districts.
