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Evanston Township High School administrators will report a big drop in suspensions and other disciplinary actions to the school board Monday night.

The report says suspensions last year were down 38 percent from five years ago and the number of other disciplinary actions decreased by 17 percent.

Suspensions as a percentage of discipline actions also decreased from 14 percent to 11 percent in the same period.

The number of days students spent out of class for discipline actions decreased by 60 percent, from 1,933 days in 2015-16 to 781 days in 2017-18.

In 2015 the administration developed a new approach to discipline in accordance with the school’s equity and vision statements.

However, the number of disciplinary actions increased after that change was implemented and peaked during 2016-17, at 7,189 discipline actions and 689 suspensions.

In the past year, changes to ETHS discipline practices include:

  • A social probation reduction contract, which allows students to meet with the dean to negotiate a reduction to the terms of their probation.
  • A school-wide focus on the disproportionality of black males being disciplined.
  • Training for students and staff in non-violence and restorative justice practices.

Data for the first semester shows that discipline incidents for black/African-American males decreased by 30 percent from 942 (2015-16) to 657 (2017-18).

However, black students accounted for 55 percent of all suspensions last year despite representing less than 30 percent of the student body.

The school board will meet Monday at 7:30 p.m. in room N112 at ETHS, 1600 Dodge Ave.

Related stories

At ETHS, an emphasis on keeping kids in school (4/19/18)

School suspensions cut — but still hit blacks hardest (4/17/18)

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5 Comments

  1. They’ve made it impossible
    They’ve made it impossible for kids to get punished for anything, so why wouldn’t suspensions drop?

    1. Impossible?

      Hi JB,

      So, you’re saying the “impossible” happened 4,434 times last year?

      — Bill

      1. Ask any of the teachers about
        Ask any of the teachers about how many obstacles the administration now creates for potential suspensions. The kids are making sex videos in the bathrooms. Staff morale is in the garbage. Teachers are told not to write up kids.

        1. Question for JB

          Hi JB – How do you know that your comments are correct?   They may be true but I am interested in the factual basis.   Do you have kids in the school?  Have you talked to the teachers?  

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