New ACLU Report: Racial Disparities In RI School Suspensions Highest in Decade
Jane Fusco, GoLocalProv Contributor
New ACLU Report: Racial Disparities In RI School Suspensions Highest in Decade
The report found that while white students experienced a ten-year low in suspensions during the 2013-2014 school year -- and that the combined suspension rate for Hispanic, black and Native American students was at an all-time high.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTHillary Davis, the ACLU of RI’s policy associate and report author, said: “Rhode Island’s schools have for too long relied on suspensions to address minor behavioral issues, disproportionately pushing black and Hispanic students out of the classroom instead of keeping our children in school where they belong. The long-term effects of suspensions are serious…Rhode Island cannot afford to wait for those effects to boil over before we address this long-simmering, rectifiable issue.”
The report showed significant racial disparities were found in school districts across the state, beginning as early as elementary school, and affected black girls as well as boys. These findings come just one year after the federal government issued guidance to school districts that suspension use should be minimized. The Rhode Island General Assembly is also considering legislation to prohibit suspensions for low-risk behavioral offenses.
Among the Report Findings:
- Black students were suspended from school more than twice as often as would be expected based on their representation in the student body population. Hispanic students were suspended more than one-and-a-half times as often as expected, the highest rate in a decade, while white students experienced a ten-year low.
- Black girls were nearly four times more likely than white girls to be suspended, including for minor, vague offenses like “disorderly conduct” and “disrespect.”
- Black elementary school students were suspended at a rate nearly three times the rate expected given their representation in the population, while white elementary school students were suspended just half as often as expected.
- The racial disparities in discipline are statewide: 24 school districts and two charter schools suspended black students at rates disproportionately higher than their representation in the student body, while 21 districts and two charter school disproportionately suspended Hispanic students.
- Despite an increasing consensus nationwide that suspensions should be reserved as discipline only in very serious circumstances, more than half of all suspensions were issued for “Disorderly Conduct” or “Insubordination/Disrespect.”
The RI High Schools with the Most Absentee Students
#59 Ponaganset High School
Location: Foster and Glocester
Total # Students: 684
% Chronically Absent: 4%
#58 Beacon Charter High School for the Arts
Location: Woonsocket
Total # of Students: 227
% Chronically Absent: 6%
#57 Barrington High School
Location: Barrington
Total # of Students: 1,027
% Chronically Absent: 7%
#56 North Smithfield High School
Location: North Smithfield
Total # of Students: 519
% Chronically Absent: 7 %
#55 Portsmouth High School
Location: Portsmouth
Total # of Students: 960
% Chronically Absent: 8%
#54 East Greenwich High School
Location: East Greenwich
Total # of Students: 729
% Chronically Absent: 9%
#53 Exeter-West Greenwich High School
Location: Exeter and West Greenwich
Total # of Students: 540
% Chronically Absent: 9%
#52 Chariho Regional High School
Location: Charlestown
Total # of Students: 1,201
% Chronically Absent:
#51 Middletown High School
Location: Middletown
Total # of Students: 685
% Chronically Absent: 10%
#50 North Kingstown Senior High School
Location: North Kingstown
Total # of Students: 1,387
% Chronically Absent:11%
#49 Smithfield Senior High School
Location: Smithfield
Total # of Students: 755
% Chronically Absent: 11 %
#48 Westerly High School
Location: Smithfield
Total # of Students: 917
% Chronically Absent: 11%
#47 Block Island School
Location: New Shoreham
Total # of Students: NA
% Chronically Absent: 12%
#46 South Kingstown High School
Location: South Kingstown
Total # of Students: 1,073
% Chronically Absent: 12 %
#45 Tiverton High School
Location: Tiverton
Total # of Students: 1,607
% Chronically Absent: 14%
#44 Coventry High School
Location: Coventry
Total # of Students: 1,607
% Chronically Absent: 14 %
#43 Cumberland High School
Location: Cumberland
Total # of Students: 1,337
% Chronically Absent: 14%
#42 Narragansett High School
Location: Narragansett
Total # of Students: 429
% Chronically Absent: 14%
#41 The Greene School
Location: Exeter
Total # of Students: 162
% Chronically Absent: 15%
#40 Highlander Charter Academy
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: NA
% Chronically Absent: 16%
#39 Burrillville High School
Location: Burrillville
Total # of Students: 682
% Chronically Absent: 18%
#38 Lincoln Senior High School
Location: Lincoln
Total # of Students: 1,005
% Chronically Absent: 18%
#37 Mt. Hope High School
Location: Bristol
Total # of Students: 990
% Chronically Absent:19%
#36 East Providence High School
Location: East Providence
Total # of Students: 1,502
% Chronically Absent: 19%
#35 Paul Cuffee Charter School
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: NA
% Chronically Absent: 19%
#34 Times2 Academy
Location: Providence
Total Number of Students: NA
% Chronically Absent: 19%
#33 Academy for Career Exploration
Location: Providence
Total Number of Students: 168
% Chronically Absent: 19%
#32 Scituate High School
Location: Scituate
Total Number of Students: 469
% Chronically Absent: 19%
#31 J.M. Walsh School
Location: Pawtucket
Total number of students: 192
% Chronically Absent: 20%
#30 Classical High School
Location: Providence
Total Number of Students: 1,119
% Chronically Absent: 21%
#29 Toll Gate High School
Location: Wawick
Total # of Students: 958
% Chronically Absent: 21%
#28 West Warwick Senior High School
Location: West Warwick
Total # of Students: 935
% Chronically Absent: 21%
#27 Davies Career and Techinical Center
Location: Lincoln
Total # of Students: 849
% Chronically Absent: 22%
#26 Pilgrim High School
Location: Warwick
Total # of Students: 991
% Chronically Absent: 22%
#25 Johnston Senior High School
Location: Johnston
Total # of Students: 893
% Chronically Absent: 24%
#24 North Providence High School
Location: North Providence
Total # of Students: 969
% Chronically Absent: 26%
#23 Cranston High School East
Location: Cranston
Total # of Students: 1,583
% Chronically Absent: 27%
#22 Warwick Veterans Memorial High School
Location: Warwick
Total # of Students: 910
% Chronically Absent: 27%
#21 RI Nurses Institute
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: 266
% Chronically Absent: 29%
#20 Rogers High School
Location: Newport
Total # of Students: 538
% Chronically Absent: 32%
#19 RI School for the Deaf
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: NA
% Chronically Absent: 32%
#18 Tolman Senior High School
Location: Pawtucket
Total # of Students: 1,034
% Chronically Absent: 33%
#17 Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: 838
% Chronically Absent: 33%
#16 Cranston High School West
Location: Cranston
Total # of Students:1,526
% Chronically Absent: 33%
#15 Village Green Virtual Charter School
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: NA
% Chronically Absent: 39%
#14 E-Cubed Academy
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: 349
% Chronically Absent: 39%
#13 Mount Pleasant High School
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: 898
% Chronically Absent: 39%
#12 Central Falls High School
Location: Central Falls
Total # of Students: 727
% Chronically Absent: 40%
#11 Shea Senior High School
Location: Pawtucket
Total # of Students: 858
% Chronically Absent: 42%
#10 Blackstone Charter Academy
Location: Pawtucket
Total # of Students: 168
% Chronically Absent: 43%
#9 Providence Career and Technical Academy
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: 577
% Chronically Absent: 44%
#8 Woonsocket High School
Location: Woonsocket
Total # of Students: 1,579
% Chronically Absent: 47%
#7 Cranston Construction Career Academy
Location: Cranston
Total # of Students:158
% Chronically Absent: 49%
#6 William B. Cooley Senior High School
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: 617
% Chronically Absent: 50%
#5 Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: 486
% Chronicallly Absent: 53%
#4 Central High School
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: 1,112
% Chronically Absent: 55%
#3 Hope High School
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: 894
% Chronically Absent: 55%
#2 Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy (II)
Location: Providence
Total # of Students: 81
% Chronically Absent: 87%
#1 Sheila Skip Nowell Leadership Academy (I)
Location: Central Falls
Total # of Students: 73
% of Chronically Absent: 89%
