1. Discipline Identification and Reporting
June 2016 1
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

2. Agenda Review MA discipline regulations and identification process:
Over-reliance on long-term suspension
Suspension discrepancy by race/SWD status
Review Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reporting on disciplinary removals for students with disabilities
Questions
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

3. MA Discipline Regulations
603 CMR 53.14(4) requires ESE and the Commissioner to identify:
Schools that need assistance to reduce over-reliance on long-term suspension or expulsion as a consequence for student misconduct
Schools and districts with data that reflect significant disparities in the rate of suspension and expulsion by race and ethnicity, or disability
ESE used SSDR data to make identifications in 2016
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

4. Long Term Suspension ID and Reporting
ESE reports rates of students suspended for more than 10 cumulative days in a school year
Posted on School and District Profiles ”Days Missed Report”
Guide ID of schools in need of assistance to reduce over-reliance on long term suspension and expulsion
Criteria:
At least 100 students enrolled
At least 5% of students suspended for 10 days or more
12 schools identified
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

5. Discrepancy by Race/SWD ID and Reporting
Rate difference methodology used:
Compares racial and/or SWD subgroup to all students
Measures disparities in two ways: within school/district and to state
Incorporates central tendency: two standard deviation threshold for “significant disparity”
Consider overall suspension/expulsion rate
Districts and schools with below average suspension rates not identified
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

6. Methodology Detail 1) Determine universe of eligible groups.
Enrollment >= 20 and >=6 students suspended
2) Calculate average rate difference at school and district level.
Treat race and SWD subgroups separately :
1)Race/eth subgroup - school/district rate
2)Race/eth subgroup – state rate
3)SWD subgroup – school/district rate
4)SWD subgroup - state rate
3) Flag groups with internal AND state differences outside two standard deviations.
4) School/District rate must be greater than the average school/district rate.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

7. Example- Race, school level Group to All Students Diff
1) Calculate average difference to school and state rates among eligible groups
School
Group
Group Rate
All Students Rate
Group to All Students Diff
State Rate
Group to State Diff 1
Hisp
45.2%
19.0%
26.2%
4.1%
41.1% 2
White
32.2%
18.6%
13.6%
28.1% 3
Asian
28.6%
20.3%
8.3%
24.5% 4
Black
31.6%
16.2%
15.4%
27.5%
Multi
29.1%
12.9%
25.0%
Difference
Average Difference
Std Dev
2 Std Dev
Difference Threshold
Group to School
15.3%
4.6%
9.2%
24.5%
Group to State
29.2%
4.8%
9.6%
38.8%
2) Average difference + 2 standard deviation = difference threshold for flagging
3) School #1 will be flagged for it’s Hispanic group.
Both school difference and state difference are above thresholds.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

8. Group to All Students Diff
Example, cont.:
School #1 has been flagged for it’s Hispanic group, so…
School
Group
Group Rate
All Students Rate
Group to All Students Diff
State Rate
Group to State Diff 1
Hisp
45.2%
19.0%
26.2%
4.1%
41.1% 2
White
32.2%
18.6%
13.6%
28.1% 3
Asian
28.6%
20.3%
8.3%
24.5% 4
Black
31.6%
16.2%
15.4%
27.5%
Multi
29.1%
12.9%
25.0%
4) Check whether school rate is higher than average school rate of 7.2%
The school rate is 19.0%.
School #1 will be identified for significant discrepancies.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

9. 2 SD Threshold Difference 2 SD Threshold Difference
2015 Actual Criteria
Schools
To All Students
To State (4.1%)
Average School Rate
Group Type
2 SD Threshold Difference
Race
10.8
25.4
7.2
SWD
15.5
31.4
Districts
To All Students
To State (4.1%)
Average District Rate
Group Type
2 SD Threshold Difference
Race
7.7
15.1
5.0
SWD
11.1
21.8
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

10. Identification Summary
Schools and Districts Identified for Discrepancies
School
District
Reason: N
Race 20 3
SWD 5
Total 25
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

11. Federal IDEA Reporting
All states that receive IDEA funds must report annually on a number of performance indicators, including indicator 4:
4A. Significant discrepancy in the rate of suspensions and expulsions of greater than 10 days for children with IEPs
4B. Significant discrepancy in the rate of suspensions and expulsions of greater than 10 days for children with IEPs, by race or ethnicity
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

12. Indicator 4A Step 1: Identify the overall “state rate.”
Calculate the percentage of SWDs who were removed for greater than 10 days during the school year. This is the state rate.
Step 2: Calculate each district’s rate.*
Calculate the percentage of SWDs in each district who were removed for greater than 10 days during the school year.
Step 3: Identify districts with a “significant discrepancy.”
Compare each district’s rate to the state rate, and identify districts whose rate has been at least 5x the state rate for the past two years.
*Note that all districts with fewer than 30 SWDs are not included in the calculation.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

13. Indicator 4B Step 1: Identify the overall “state rate.”
Calculate the percentage of SWDs who were removed for greater than 10 days during the school year. This is the same state rate as in 4A.
Step 2: Calculate each district’s rate for each racial/ethnic group.*
Calculate the percentage of SWDs in each racial/ethnic group in each district who were removed for greater than 10 days during the school year.
Step 3: Identify districts with a “significant discrepancy.”
Compare each district’s rate for each racial/ethnic group to the overall state rate and identify districts whose rate for a specific racial/ethnic group has been at least 5x the state rate for the past three years.
Step 4: Review the identified districts’ policies, practices and procedures.
Districts identified under indicator 4B will undergo a review of their policies, practices, and procedures (PPPs), to determine whether or not the PPPs contributed to the significant discrepancy.
*Note that all districts with fewer than 10 SWDs in a particular racial/ethnic group are not included in the calculation for that racial/ethnic group.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

14. Indicator 4 In FFY15…. State rate = 0.7% 5x state rate = 3.4%
5 districts were flagged under indicator 4A
9 districts were flagged under indicator 4B
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

15. Questions?
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education