COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004

BANS OR LIMITS ON EARLY CHILDHOOD SUSPENSIONS AND EXPULSIONS

JURISDICTION COMPARISON

Who
Chicago Public Schools
Board of Education

Date of the Change

Passed June 2014;
Effective SY14-15

Minneapolis Public
Schools
Baltimore Public Schools

Changed Sept. 2014;

Effective SY14-15
Changed July 2014;
Effective SY14-15

State of California

September 2014;
Effective SY14-15

Dayton Public Schools

Board of Education

Passed June 2014;

Effective SY14-15

New York City

Department of Education

August 2012:
Effective SY12-13
*Reportedly under
revision again*

Buffalo Public Schools

Board of Education

April 2013;
Effective SY13-14

Policy Change
Prohibits suspensions for Pre-K through 2nd grade,
with exception where behavior poses an imminent
danger in these cases, suspensions are limited to
one day, require Network Chief approval, must be
preceded by restorative efforts, and the principal
must develop a support plan.i
Prohibits suspensions for Pre-K through 1st grade
for nonviolent behavior. ii
Principals are required to consult with the central
office before they suspend pre-kindergarten and
kindergarten students for any length of time.iii
The legislature passed a law that bans California
public schools from suspending or expelling
kindergarten through 3rd grade students.
Expulsions are also no longer allowed for students
above 3rd grade for offenses described as willful
defiance.iv
Moratorium on out-of-school suspensions for
prekindergarten students. DPS will instead offer
professional development regarding self-regulation
in the classroom to preschool classroom teachers.v
Student Discipline Code was changed to prohibit
the city from issuing suspensions longer than 5
days to students in K 3rd grades.vi Children in
EarlyLearnNYC and Universal Pre-Kindergarten
programs may not be expelled or suspended for
behavioral reasons without written approval from
New York City Administration for Children's
Services (ASC) or the New York City Department
of Education (DOE).vii
Under the new code of conduct students (all
grades) are no longer be suspended for disciplinary
problems like truancy, cutting class, running in the
halls, smoking and dress code violations.viii

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Commonwealth of
Massachusetts

Passed August 2012;

Effective July 2014

Syracuse City School

District

Passed Sept. 2014:

Effective SY14-15

Rochester School District

2008

State of New Jersey

2007

State of Washington

2007

State of Georgia

Introduced January
2015;
Pending Legislation

State of Indiana

Introduced January
2015; Pending
Legislation

Law requires the principal or headmaster to notify

the superintendent in writing of the out-of-school
suspension of a student enrolled in kindergarten
through 3rd grade, the alleged misconduct, and the
reasons for out-of-school suspension, before the
suspension takes effect. Includes public schools
and public charter schools.ix
Students in Pre-K through 2nd grade may only be
suspended if a student engages in pervasive or
egregious aggressive acts that cause injury or
threaten childrens safety in the classroom.
Schools must consult the District and those
students cannot be suspended for longer than 2
days.x
Suspension of students in the Pre-K program is
prohibited. Short-term suspensions apply only to
K-12 students and long-term suspensions apply
only to 3-12 students.xi
Preschool students in a general education program
or special education program shall not be
suspended, long-term or short-term, and shall not
be expelled.xii
Washington Admin. Code limits the use of
suspension for young students in both short and
long-term suspensions:
No student in grades K-4 shall be suspended for
more than a total of 10 school days during any
single semester.
No student in grades K-4 shall be long-term
suspended during any single semester.xiii
The introduced bill, Too Young to Suspend Act, if
approved, would prohibit schools from imposing
suspension or expulsion on children in pre-K
through 3rd grade.xiv
The introduced bill would prevent schools from
suspending or expelling students based solely on
attendance. It also provides grant money for
schools to adopt positive, evidence-based
discipline approaches and training for teachers and
staff.xv

Chicago Student Code of Conduct Revisions, June 2014

http://cps.edu/News/Press_releases/Pages/PR1_06_23_2014.aspx

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ii

MPS ends suspensions in pre-K, kindergarten and first grade for nonviolent behavior issues
http://www.mpls.k12.mn.us/september_5_2
iii
City seeks to curb pre-K and kindergarten suspensions
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2014-07-09/news/bs-md-ci-suspension-changes-20140709_1_suspensionsprincipals-union-school-year
iv
Californias Willful Defiance Law Limits Suspensions, Expulsions For Backtalking Students
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/09/30/californias-willful-defiance-law-limits-suspensions-expulsions-forbacktalking-students/
v
http://www.dps.k12.oh.us/content/documents/Official-Minutes---June-17-2014.pdf
vi
New York City Department of Education Student Code of Conduct, August 2012
http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/F7DA5E8D-C065-44FF-A16F55F491C0B9E7/0/DiscCode20122013FINAL.pdf
vii
New York City Department of Education Pre-K Policies and Resources
http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/EarlyChildhood/educators/UPK.htm
viii
City schools adopt a more tolerant school discipline policy
http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130423/CITYANDREGION/130429616/1020
ix
http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=7127
x
Syracuse Schools Code of Conduct approved
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/09/syracuse_schools_code_of_conduct_approved__now_comes_the_hard_part.html
xi
http://www.rochesterteachers.com/Rochester_Teachers_Association/Forms_files/regs_of_intervention.pdf
xii
New Jersey Code, N.J.A.C. 6A:13A-4.4(g) http://www.nj.gov/education/ece/psguide/suspension.htm
xiii
Wash. Admin. Code 392-400-245 (2007), available at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=392400-245
xiv
Democrats in Ga. House rollout 2015 legislative agenda http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=284081
xv
https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/bills/senate/443