Document Type

Report

Publication Date

10-24-2023

Series Title

Arkansas Education Report

Series Number

Volume 20, Issue 6

Keywords

Arkansas; public schools; student discipline; disciplinary infractions; minor disciplinary incidents

Abstract

This report examines student discipline in Arkansas public schools. Using ten years of de-identified student data from 2012-13 to 2021-22, our research identifies a number of key trends and outcomes related to student discipline in the Arkansas public schools. Data are provided by the Arkansas Department of Education, and this work builds upon prior editions of this report.1 Data are limited to the disciplinary infractions and consequences reported by schools, and we do not estimate causal effects of any policies or programs, however, this work includes findings relevant to educators and policymakers in the state. An important caution for interpretation is much lower rates of discipline infractions were reported in 2019-20 and 2020-21, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related closure of Arkansas schools beginning in mid-March of 2020 and continuing COVID-related disruptions to face-to-face schooling through the 2020-21 school year. In 2021-22, reports of discipline infractions increased, but no to the level seen prior to the pandemic. It is not clear if the reduced number of reported disciplinary incidents is a reflection of improved students’ behavior, or rather the result of other factors including changes in school operations, intensified health protocols, and modification of reporting subjective infractions.

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