Expulsion

Expulsion, a punishment technique used to manage serious behavior problems, involves the long-term exclusion of a student from school and school-related activities. Such exclusion occurs following a set of procedures, usually including a formal school board hearing with the student and parent present. Written notification of the hearing and its results are provided. Readmission following expulsion is generally not permissible until the following academic year and after action from the school board.

Expulsion is considered to be the ultimate punishment for serious rules violations in the school. Skiba and Noam (2002) note that, in the aftermath of serious school violence, techniques to prevent violence and to intervene with at-risk children have come to the educational policy forefront. Many schools have adopted zero-tolerance policies, thus leading to increases in the number of students expelled from school and the length of time they are expelled. Typical reasons for expulsion include habitual disruptiveness, severe aggression, unsafe conduct, habitual truancy, drugrelated incidents, severe threats (e.g., bomb), illegal behaviors, and carrying of weapons (e.g., knife); whereas carrying a firearm requires a minimum one-year expulsion, based on the Safe Schools Act.

Students at risk for expulsion include those with disruptive behavior problems, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder. Given that these are male-dominated disorders, it is not surprising that boys are twice as likely as girls to be expelled from school, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Research by Morrison and D'Incau (1997) shows that students with a history of special education, including below-average grades and achievement scores, are also at risk, particularly when children exhibit emotional and behavioral risk factors in addition to their disability. A student with a disability is given a manifestation determination hearing following the decision for expulsion, which involves a meeting of the student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team. If it is determined that the misconduct resulted from the student's disability or from an inappropriate placement for the disability, then the student cannot be expelled. Although school systems are obligated to provide continuing services to the child with disabilities, they must balance that obligation with their responsibility to all students.

Expelled students are typically offered alternative education programs to either help them graduate or aid in their reintegration to the regular school. According to the U.S. Department of Education, these programs usually have a low student-to-teacher ratio, highly trained staff, and intensive counseling and monitoring, among other key components. Nevertheless, research by the U.S. Department of Education shows a positive association between expulsion and later school dropout. Thus, students, schools, and society may benefit from less severe disciplinary alternatives in the regular school setting, if appropriate. These may include time-out (e.g., sent to a disciplinary room or the principal's office), privilege removal (e.g., not allowed to attend a field trip), [Page 200]in-school suspension, and short-term or long-term out-of-school suspension. Alternatives that focus on teaching and reinforcing appropriate behaviors are particularly appealing, such as those reviewed by Wiseman and Hunt (2001), given that children usually benefit from reinforcement of positive behaviors.