Southern Poverty Law Center--School to Prison Pipeline

Click the title link for the full story. There are two new related pdf's in the sidebar. Here are some highlights:

Children with emotional disturbance (ED):

- fail more courses, earn lower grade point averages, miss more days of school and are retained more often than other students with disabilities;

- have the worst graduation rate of all disabilities; nationally, only 35% graduate from high school (compared to 76% for all students);

- are more than three times as likely as other students to be arrested before leaving school;

- have alarmingly high drop-out rates - and 73% of those who drop out are arrested within five years;

- are twice as likely as other students with disabilities to be living in a correctional facility, halfway house, drug treatment center or "on the street" after leaving school;

- are almost twice as likely as students with other disabilities to become teenage mothers.

Major systemic changes have been mandated:

* Significantly increasing the frequency and duration of social work, psychological and counseling services;

* Implementing district-wide use of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports;

* Improving the students' academic progress at all grade levels;

* Eliminating many harsh and illegal disciplinary practices and policies;

* Significantly increasing access to less restrictive general education environments; and,

* Significantly expanding access to vocational training.

If you an advocate or attorney interested in learning more please contact ron.lospennato@splcenter.org