Do Suspensions Affect Student Outcomes?

Discipline reformers claim that suspensions negatively affect suspended students, while others suggest reforms have unintended consequences for peers. Using student panel data from the School District of Philadelphia, we implement student fixed effects and instrumental variable (IV) strategies to ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Educational evaluation and policy analysis 2019-03, Vol.41 (1), p.34-62
Main Authors: Lacoe, Johanna, Steinberg, Matthew P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Behavior Problems
Discipline Policy
Educational Change
Expulsions & suspensions
Mathematics Achievement
Outcomes of Education
Panel data
Peers
Reading Achievement
Reforms
School discipline
Student Behavior
Student expulsion
Students
Suspension
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Summary:Discipline reformers claim that suspensions negatively affect suspended students, while others suggest reforms have unintended consequences for peers. Using student panel data from the School District of Philadelphia, we implement student fixed effects and instrumental variable (IV) strategies to examine the consequences of suspensions for offending students and their peers. A suspension decreases math and reading achievement for suspended students. The effects are robust to IV estimates leveraging a district-wide policy change in suspension use. Suspensions are more salient for students who personally experience suspension than for their peers. Exposure to suspensions for more serious misconduct has very small, negative spillovers onto peer achievement, but does not change peer absences.
ISSN:0162-3737
1935-1062
DOI:10.3102/0162373718794897