Description of the Strategy

Suspension is a form of school disciplinary action in which the privilege of attending school is “suspended” for a period of time. A suspension occurs when a building administrator makes a decision that a student should not be attending school for a relatively brief period, up to several school days.

Although its origins are obscure, the use of suspension has probably existed since before the advent of universally mandated education in the United States. At present, the purpose of suspension as a disciplinary consequence is usually connected to a serious rule violation. The intent is to reduce the likelihood that students will engage in future ruleviolating behavior. Nevertheless, its original purpose before universal education may simply have been to ...