Young Student Suspension Ban (Massachusetts)

The Young Student Exclusion Ban Act (S.373/H.541) aims to improve educational outcomes by banning Massachusetts public schools from suspending or expelling students in grades pre-K through 3rd grade for non-serious disciplinary infractions. The bill expands this exclusion ban to 4th grade after one year after enactment, and to 5th grade two years after enactment.

Excluding students from school early predicts expulsion or suspension in later grades and contributes to students’ poor academic performance and failing to graduate on time. The early grades are the most essential time when children need to be in the classroom, as they build their educational foundation and learn to read. For example, three-fourths of students who are poor readers in 3rd grade will remain poor readers in high school. The bill also includes support for effective problem-solving based interventions.

Data from the Mass Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shows that students between Pre-Kindergarten and the third grade lose thousands of days of lost instruction per year due to discipline. And, this is a civil rights issue - Black students, Latinx students, and students with disabilities are disproportionately excluded from Massachusetts classrooms.

Exclusion is harmful - students belong in the classroom.