School Suspension Paper

Schools across the nation report increases in the use of punitive disciplinary methods such as suspension (Iselin, 2010). The question is not so much the need for this type of disciplinary measure, but why some students tend to be suspended more than others and the effects, both positive and negative, on students. According to Iselin (2010), research questions what other alternatives to suspension might be more effective practices than suspension itself. Suspension can be effective in removing a problematic student from school, providing temporary relief to frustrated school personnel, and raising parental attention to their child’s misconduct (2010). Suspension does not improve overall school safety and is associated with lower academic performance, …show more content…
Additionally, female suspension is related to how much school violence female students observe at school, their involvement in gangs, their attitudes toward violence, their prior suspension record, their current grade level, and drug use (Cavanaugh, 2009). Female suspension is not related to their self-esteem or their family structures (2009). Suspension rates vary based upon the school, the characteristics of the district in addition to the behaviors and attitudes of the students in attendance. In-school suspension is an alternative method of discipline that avoids some of the disadvantages of external suspension by allowing greater continuity of educational experience (Cavanaugh, 2009). Students who are internally suspended are excluded from the classroom, but spend a particular amount of time in another room with someone overseeing them. Students who have been internally suspended are less likely to drop out of school than are externally suspended students (Vallejo, 1987). Often times, students view out of school suspension as a vacation with no ramifications to complete