Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

In an era of institutional accountability and increasing pressure on schools there is evidence that schools may have the capacity to be quite responsive to policy shifts when they are under institutional pressure to do so. One such area of pressure for schools is the long-standing concern over student suspensions; in recent years, concern over the use of suspensions and the racial disparities in their application, particularly for low-level behaviors, have created a maelstrom of public pressure for schools to adjust their suspension policies). Several school districts have since adjusted their out-of-school suspension policies, but we know little about a) if these changes in policy actually change the action of suspending students within schools and b) if so, how these changes might shift racial disproportionalities in suspensions. This analysis examines the removal of suspensions for low-level infractions from the formal discipline policy of a large, urban district. I use student-level data to compare the frequency, type and disproportionality of suspensions before and after the discipline code change. If schools respond quickly to shifts in formal discipline policies, post-change suspension rates should show a reduction in suspensions. Findings suggest that while suspension rates decrease overall, and for first-time suspensions, multiple suspensions are more likely. Additionally, heterogeneity by student race and gender appears when assessing the ‘effect’ of this policy. These findings suggest some plausible positive results of the policy change but also highlight potential unintended consequences with regard to racial disparities.