What does this measure?
This measures the percent of students in kindergarten through third grade, on a school-level, that have been administered an out-of-school suspension (OSS) during the school year in question.
Data Source
Georgia Department of Education Student Records data files
Why is this important?
Research shows that there is a linear correlation between attendance and student achievement, so the OSS of students creates the condition whereby students miss so many days of instruction that they fall even further behind. Student absences, including OSS, are one of the best predictors of graduation rate. Responding to this data and the impact of OSS on student learning, engagement, and development in the early grades, Georgia legislators passed HB740 in 2018 to require Georgia school systems to conduct certain screenings, assessments, and reviews before expelling or assigning a student in K-3 to OSS for more than five consecutive or cumulative days during a school year.

References and Resources
- Bond, K., et al, How Does Early Childhood Suspension Relate to Achievement in Reading and Math?. The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. September 2018.
- Morris, EW et al. The Punishment Gap: School Suspension and Racial Disparities in Achievement. Social Problems, January 2016.
- Raffaele Mendez, LM. Predictors of suspension and negative school outcomes: A longitudinal investigation. New Directions for Youth Development, Fall 2003.