How Discipline Policies Can Hold Students Back From College

Author Sarah Shapiro discusses how school discipline policies can hold students back in the college admissions process and what universities can do to reduce the impact of students' disciplinary history.

As hundreds of thousands of students scrambled to submit their college applications by the end of last year, many probably did not realize that there is one factor that could sink their chances of acceptance and it is largely out of their control: their discipline record. Even minor in-class suspensions can hinder students’ ability to apply to and attend college.

The Department of Education is currently considering rescinding Obama administration guidance addressing disparate rates of school discipline. This guidance encourages schools to steer away from overly harsh policies that unnecessarily remove students from school and warns schools and districts that over-disciplining students of color or students with disabilities could be investigated as discrimination.

The above excerpt was originally published in RealClearEducation. Click here to view the full article.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.