FACT 13: Students with ASD are 2 times more likely to be suspended or expelled than peers.
- In 2011-2012, 3.45 million students were suspended out-of-school (Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-2012)
- Students with disabilities and students of color are generally suspended and expelled at higher rates than their peers (Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011-2012). Additionally, white students are more often punished for objective violations, like vandalism, while students of color are more likely to be punished for subjective behaviors, e.g., showing disrespect or making noises.
- Evidence does not show that discipline practices that remove students from instruction—such as suspensions and expulsions—help to improve either student behavior or school climate (Skiba, Shure, Middelberg & Baker, 2012)
- Suspensions are associated with negative student outcomes such as lower academic performance, higher rates of dropout, failures to graduate on time, decreased academic engagement, and future disciplinary exclusion (Achilles, McLaughlin, Croninger, 2007; Arcia, 2006 Costenbader & Markson, 1998; Lee, Cornell, Gregory, & Fan, 2011; Skiba & Peterson, 2000)