N.C. beats national school-suspension rate

N.C. public school students are being suspended 45 percent more often than their national counterparts, according to a survey released by the N.C. Child Advocacy Institute.

The number of yearly suspensions has been growing 12 times faster than the general student population. In 2004, more than one in 10 students were suspended.

The rate among black males was about six times as high, with 62 percent suspended during the 2003-04 school year.

"Black male students are by far the most at-risk students," said Elizabeth Hudgins, senior director of policy and research at NCCAI.

She said they are more likely to face challenges at home, such as poverty or domestic violence.

The number of suspensions also varies greatly depending on the grade level of the student.

"There is a big jump between fifth- and sixth-grade," Hudgins said, adding that suspensions peak in ninth-grade.

"A lot of it was not for serious acts," she said, noting that more than 4,000 kindergarten students were suspended last year.

Even so, the increasing number of school suspensions could have troublesome implications.

Danya Perry, youth development specialist at the N.C. Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, said there is a correlation between suspension and involvement in the juvenile justice system.

The demographic trends seen in school suspensions are reflected in the juvenile justice system.

"Probably near 65 percent of the (cases) are minority," Perry said.

But even as overall suspensions have increased, they have not been matched by a rise in the number of people committed to the juvenile justice system.

The number of overall committed youths decreased from 1,360 in 1998 to 473 in 2004, Perry said.

For those in the system, he said race wasn't as important a factor as poverty. He cited a lack of resources, parents who work long hours and a low commitment to education as reasons why students end up in trouble.

The types of programs and resources available to suspended students differ significantly from county to county.

In some districts, students can enroll in after-school programs, while others have off-campus learning centers, said Nevin Daryani, research and evaluation specialist for Communities in Schools N.C.

No matter what is available, he said the goal is "helping kids stay in school and prepare for life."

 

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