When Kids Fall Through the Cracks, it Costs Taxpayers Double

With a budget deficit nearing half a billion dollars, Delaware needs to invest where it counts. The school-to-prison pipeline—which gets its name from the research-supported pattern that the more times a student faces in-school and out-of-school suspensions, the more likely they are to drop out of school and become incarcerated—is harmful for students and costly for the state.

An investment in education, coupled with efforts to make school more engaging and to make discipline policies more equitable will not only save lives down the line, but thousands of dollars as well.

Implicit Bias and Zero Tolerance Policies Fuel the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Students of color and students with disabilities are more likely to be suspended from school than their peers for minor infractions. In the 2012-13 school year, more than 18,000 students were suspended or expelled from school—that was 13 percent of the overall Delaware student population, according to Delaware Department of Education information obtained by the ACLU of Delaware. Often, these disparities are worsened by zero tolerance policies and implicit bias.

Zero tolerance policies require a one-size-fits-all approach to disciplinary infractions. They do not allow teachers and administrators to look at each situation on a case-by-case basis, according to this policy brief from Delaware Education Research and Development Center at University of Delaware.  These policies result in unfair suspensions and expulsions.

Implicit bias is the manifestation of unconscious racial prejudices and stereotypes that result in discriminatory or exclusive behavior. In the case of the school discipline, the result are far more referrals for students of color for disciplinary action, according to an issue brief from the Kirwan Institute.

Action You Can Take

• Reach out to your school board to ask about discipline policies in your district.
• Talk to your school leaders about programs that divert students from suspension and expulsion, such as restorative justice.
• Parents should request for discipline data that is broken down by sub-groups to be available to the public. Using the data, we can see where discipline disparities exist and work to rectify them.
• Students and parents should advocate for cultural competency training for educators at all levels. In order to curb the role implicit bias plays in the school-to-prison pipeline, school personnel should be able to recognize the role implicit bias plays in their interactions with all students.

As school districts and state officials tirelessly search for ways to save money, it is essential that we address the preventative measures that can be taken to keep kids out of the criminal justice system, and in school.