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Is There an Educational Penalty for Being Suspended from School?

Author

Listed:
  • Deborah A. Cobb-Clark

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne; and Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA))

  • Sonja C. Kassenboehmer

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne; and Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA))

  • Trinh Le

    (Department of Economics, The University of Waikato)

  • Duncan McVicar

    (Queen's University Management School, Queen's University, Belfast)

  • Rong Zhang

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne)

Abstract

Suspension from school is a commonly-used, yet controversial, school disciplinary measure. This paper uses unique survey data to estimate the impact of suspension on the educational outcomes of those suspended. It finds that while suspension is strongly associated with educational outcomes, the relationship is unlikely to be causal, but rather stems from differences in the characteristics of those suspended compared to those not suspended. Moreover, there is no evidence that suspension is associated with larger educational penalties for young people from disadvantaged family backgrounds compared to those from more advantaged family backgrounds. These results hold regardless of whether self-reported suspension or mother-reported suspension is considered. The absence of a negative causal impact of suspension on educational outcomes suggests that suspension may continue to play a role in school discipline without harming the educational prospects of those sanctioned.

Suggested Citation

  • Deborah A. Cobb-Clark & Sonja C. Kassenboehmer & Trinh Le & Duncan McVicar & Rong Zhang, 2013. "Is There an Educational Penalty for Being Suspended from School?," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2013n36, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    • Handle: RePEc:iae:iaewps:wp2013n36
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    File URL: http://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/downloads/working_paper_series/wp2013n36.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Joseph G. Altonji & Todd E. Elder & Christopher R. Taber, 2005. "Selection on Observed and Unobserved Variables: Assessing the Effectiveness of Catholic Schools," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 113(1), pages 151-184, February.
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    7. Deborah A. Cobb-Clark & Chris Ryan & Anastasia Sartbayeva, 2012. "Taking Chances: The Effect that Growing Up on Welfare Has on the Risky Behavior of Young People," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 114(3), pages 729-755, September.
    8. Kinsler, Josh, 2011. "Understanding the black–white school discipline gap," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 1370-1383.
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    Cited by:

    1. Craig, Ashley C & Martin, David, 2023. "Discipline Reform, School Culture, and Student Achievement," IZA Discussion Papers 15906, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Jessica Sauve‐Syed, 2024. "Lead exposure and student outcomes: A study of Flint schools," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(3), pages 432-448, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    School suspension; school discipline; educational achievement; educational attainment; causal effect;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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