Join us to Transform the School to Prison Pipeline

Contributed by Hanni Raley, Director of Systems Advocacy

Consider:

• Students with disabilities comprise less than 12% of high school students nationwide but 75% of students restrained, 58% of students who are secluded, and 13+% of students subject to out of school suspension. U.S. Department of Education, 2008
• African-American students with disabilities represent nearly 19% of the special education population but 49.9% of special education students in correctional facilities. Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, 2015
• 85% of youth in juvenile detention facilities have special education-qualifying disabilities. National Council on Disability, 2011
• Zero tolerance policies often drive students into the school to prison pipeline. American Psychological Association, 2006
• Only 37% of youth in detention facilities who needed special education actually received that support. National Council on Disability, 2011

Real Life Story: The School to Prison Pipeline

Contributed by Hanni Raley, Director of Systems Advocacy

Most families don't believe that their child could unknowingly be thrown into the school to prison pipeline; the Reetz* family sure didn't. As a middle-class, Caucasian family with likeable 12-year-old son Greg who had what some called a "mild disability," the Reetz family trusted their home school and were active participants there, volunteering regularly. 

Impacts of Trauma on Education, and Disrupting the Pipeline to Prison with Trauma Informed Care

Contributed by Jill Karno, Advocate

What is trauma?

Trauma can be defined in multiple ways. The broadest definition of trauma is any exposure to situations that cause undue stress. Possible traumatic events include any kind of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Examples of other types of trauma are inability to access resources needed for safety and exposure to violent or difficult environments. However, there are multitudes of ways in which both children and adults experience trauma.

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Implicit Bias and Its Impact in Education

Contributed by Jeff Fernengel, Advocate

Implicit bias is all around us. It can be found when a judge comes up with a sentence, when a police officer decides to use a gun, when a doctor considers a treatment, or when a manager decides whom to hire for a job. So if implicit bias can play a factor in all of these situations, it's quite natural for it to exist in the educational setting. To better understand how implicit bias factors into our nation's schools, let's take a moment to define the phrase "implicit bias." 

Positive Behavior Support

Contributed by Nancy Bowden, Director of Advocacy

Behavior for any of us is a form of communication. Sometimes it is obvious what we are trying to express with our behavior, and other times it remains a mystery to one and all. Children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities are more likely to utilize behaviors in an effort to communicate their wants, needs, and/or preferences due, in part, to a lack of expressive communication skills of the verbal variety and, in part but not inclusively, a limited awareness of one's own emotions.