School Choice & Charters Series

Charter Discipline

The Impact on Students

Charter schools’ freedom to set and enforce their own discipline rules has raised concerns among educators, policymakers, and parents, who worry that strict policies may push students out of some schools for minor infractions. This series, Charter Discipline: The Impact on Students, examines those practices. Education Week analyzes national and district-level data on student expulsions and suspensions and tracked efforts in some urban districts to establish uniform disciplinary standards for charters and regular public schools.

School Climate & Safety Discipline Data: Charters vs. Noncharters
This infographic compares out-of-school suspension and expulsion rates in charter schools with traditional public schools.
February 19, 2013
School Climate & Safety New Orleans Schools Unite on Expulsions
With dozens of charter schools, the Crescent City had dozens of different discipline policies.
Jaclyn Zubrzycki, February 19, 2013
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5 min read
School Climate & Safety KIPP CEO Addresses School Discipline Questions
In an exclusive interview with Education Week, Richard Barth talks about expulsion and suspension policies in his charter school network.
Jaclyn Zubrzycki, February 19, 2013
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2 min read
Students in Monica Farren's 6th grade English class read outside during a poetry exercise at Albert Einstein Academy Charter Middle School in San Diego.
Students in Monica Farren's 6th grade English class read outside during a poetry exercise at Albert Einstein Academy Charter Middle School in San Diego.
Sandy Huffaker for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Charter Schools' Discipline Policies Face Scrutiny
Some major urban districts are working to establish more consistent standards for expulsion and suspension policies in charter schools.
Jaclyn Zubrzycki, Sean Cavanagh & Michele McNeil, February 19, 2013
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12 min read
Joshua Moore, a student at Olive-Harvey Middle College High School, sits on the porch of his house in Chicago. Repeated discipline problems prompted him to leave his charter school.
Joshua Moore, a student at Olive-Harvey Middle College High School, sits on the porch of his house in Chicago. Repeated discipline problems prompted him to leave his charter school.
John Zich for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Charter Discipline: A Tale of Two Students
Does penalizing students for a laundry list of common infractions—both minor and more serious—instill self-discipline, or lead some to become alienated from school?
Jaclyn Zubrzycki, February 19, 2013
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3 min read