The research is clear: school completion is one of the best predictors of future success. Dropping out of high school can have long term negative consequences for students, personally, socially and financially. What do we know?:
Employment: High school dropouts are more likely to be unemployed than those who graduate.
Income: High school graduates earn more than dropouts.
Life expectancy: High school dropouts have a shorter life expectancy than graduates.
Prison: High school dropouts make up a large portion of the prison population.
Skills: High school helps you develop skills like communication, critical thinking, and time management.
Here is another fact: The average graduation rate for students with disabilities–those served by IDEA–was 67.1 percent, according to the latest data. That’s 17.5 percentage points lower than the 84.6 percent rate at which all students graduated.
School discipline like suspension or expulsion can derail a student who was on the path to a diploma. Awareness of the laws related to suspension and expulsion for students with disabilities can help prevent these negative outcomes.
In this issue of RAISE The Standard, we will explore how to prevent, address, and contest school suspension, expulsion, and dropout for students with disabilities.