Preschool Suspension and Expulsion Kate Abbott Ph.D. SVSU Early Education Program

The Pre K Environment in Vermont Act 166 provides for universal access to 10 hours a week of publicly funded prekindergarten education beginning in September of 2016. Act 166 provides 10 hours of publicly funded prekindergarten to three and four year old children for 35 weeks a year. Act 166 provides young children in Vermont with opportunities to reach their full growth and developmental potential through voluntary universal access to high quality prekindergarten education

Does Suspension Happen in Pre K? More than 5,000 prekindergarten students across the nation were expelled from their prekindergarten classrooms in the 2003-2004 school year (Gilliam, 2005).   In actuality, preschool children are expelled from their early childhood settings at a rate 3.2 times higher the rate of expulsion for students in grades K-12 (Gilliam, 2005).

What are the Pre K expulsion rates in Vermont? In 2003 and 2004 academic years, Vermont’s rate of preschool expulsion was 8.32 students per 1,000 enrolled (Gilliam, 2005, p. 5). Vermont ranked 19th out of 52 states studied in terms of incidences of expulsion per 1,000 students. (Gilliam, 2005, p. 7).   While Vermont demonstrated lower expulsion rates than neighboring states New York (12.67 students expelled per 1,000), and Maine Head Start (24.31 students expelled per 1,000), Vermont suspends and expels students at a higher rate than Massachusetts (4.95 students expelled per 1,000), and thirty other states. In Summary: The differences in preschool expulsion rates across states are not due to differences in the needs and behaviors of students, but in the structure and approach of the prekindergarten system for intervening with those students.  

Who Gets Expelled from Pre K? The June 2016 Office of Civil Rights Report found that certain children are expelled at disproportionate rates from Pre K. “Black preschool children are 3.6 times as likely to receive one or more out-of-school suspensions as white preschool children.” “Boys are more frequently suspended from preschool than girls are.” While black children make up only 19% of those enrolled in Pre K, they account for 47% of the preschool students who experience suspension.  Black girls make up 20% of the preschool population, but 54% of the preschool population that is suspended (orcdata.ed.gov, 3).  19% of the male preschool population is comprised of  black boys, while 45% of those students being suspended or expelled are black boys (ocrdata.ed.gov, 3).   ·         Boys are more frequently suspended from preschool than girls are. While boys are 54% of the enrolled pre K population, they represent 78% of preschool students who experience suspension (ocrdata.ed.gov, p. 3). .  The data clearly demonstrates disproportionality in expulsion and therefore access to Pre K.  While the public-private pre K partnerships in Vermont offer a wide variety of opportunities for families from which to choose, it makes the coordination of these providers a challenge when attempting to unite all under a common set of policies or guidelines in relation to responses to severe behavioral challenges (Gilliam, 2005).

What interventions have been found to prevent expulsion? The majority of antisocial behavior in young children is linked to environmental factors, including chaotic and unpredictable home environments (Patterson et al., 1982).   Research has demonstrated that having access to a structured environment matters; children demonstrating aggressive behaviors upon entering school show improvement in safe behavior and decrease aggression with no other intervention than access to a structured learning environment (Kellam, Rebok, Lalongo, and Mayer, 1994). Accessing high quality Pre K environments is an effective intervention to support safe student behavior for children at risk of expulsion.

Effective Interventions for Preventing Expulsion Suspension and expulsion rates were also correlated with the availability to classroom-based mental health supports (Gilliam, 2005). Teachers who had regular access to behavioral and mental health consultation report using suspension and expulsion at the lowest rates. Teachers with infrequent or irregular access to consultation demonstrating higher rates of expulsion. Teachers with no access to behavioral supports report expelling children at the highest rate of all teachers in the study (Gilliam, 2005, 9-10). Access to behavioral and mental health supports when needed can help prevent pre K expulsion.

Effective Systems to Prevent Pre K Expulsion Early MTSS (Multi-tiered systems of support) is a key strategy for promoting positive outcomes for children, families, and early childhood practitioners (ectacenter.org).   Early MTSS incorporates evidence based practices to support the development of social-emotional skills (in addition to academic skills) along with universal screening to provide early interventions for children at risk.   Continued and expanded support of Early MTSS system development projects will support a systemic approach to these issues over time.   

Case Study “Children who exhibit challenging behavior have the best chance at learning appropriate social skills when identified early and provided with evidence based interventions” (Loeber & Farrington, 1998). One child and family’s experience with expulsion from a child development program

Data Collection

With Support… “Schools and early education programs that are proactive and systemic in addressing the academic, behavioral and social emotional needs of students have greater success than those who do not (Lane, Menzies, Oakes & Kalberg, 2012).”

Building new relationships in a new setting “Children who are not able to access interventions to build positive social skills before the age of 8 are much more resistant to change” (Gresham, 1991).

Tier 3 MTSS Supports “Schools and early education programs that are proactive and systemic in addressing the academic, behavioral and social emotional needs of students have greater success than those who do not” (Lane, Menzies, Oakes & Kalberg, 2012). Baseline: 1st two weeks of school 5-7 incidents of aggression (hitting, pulling hair, attempting to bite) per four hour program day. Week of 1/23/17 – 2-3 Incidents of aggression per four hour program day. Week of 2/13-2/17 – With adult support, 0 incidents of aggression per week. Target Behavior 1: Yelling- Shacore often yells “no” when he does not want to follow a direction, at an increasing intensity level until other children place their hands over their ears. Frequency – 3-5 times per school day lasting 1-5 minutes each incident, most often seen during adult directed activities; in particular, circle time. Perceived Function: Shacore is noncompliant and yells to get adult attention and to gain control. Target Behavior 2: Unsafe Behavior – Hitting, attempting to bite, pulling hair, throwing materials or furniture. Frequency – Behavior began 1/11/17 and has averaged 3-4 incidents on the days since. Perceived Function – Shacore is randomly aggressive to gain attention and control.

Staying the Course There exists a wealth of research on strategies for supporting students with challenging behavior that have been proven effective at both a class based and individual student level (Lane, Menzies, Ennis, Bezdek, 2013).

Implications for Policy In order to ensure equitable access to high quality preschool in Vermont, early education programs must think proactively and systematically about meeting the social emotional needs of our youngest learners. With the right resources and supports, we can ensure the success of all learners. Access to High Quality Pre Kindergarten Early MTSS systems and supports Early Childhood Mental Health Services On Site Behavioral Consultation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38AGD4c4l9Y