Out of the Classroom and Less Likely to Graduate: The Relationship between Exclusionary Discipline and Four-Year Graduation Rates in Texas

Exclusionary discipline has been a topic of focus for Texas lawmakers in recent legislative sessions. While studies show the negative impact of exclusionary discipline on students, few explore how children who enter Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs fare later in their educational careers. The following paper outlines data collected from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) highlighting the relationship between assignments to DAEPs with graduation rates for ninth graders. This analysis shows the disproportional use of exclusionary discipline assignments on Black and Latinx students and the negative relationship between assignments to exclusionary discipline and four-year graduation rates for students. These issues are relevant as legislators and districts contemplate new discipline protocols in response to the public health crisis.