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Suspension Rates at Oklahoma City Public Schools On The Rise

Emily Wendler / KOSU
Oklahoma City Public School's Board meeting.

Suspension rates in Oklahoma City Public Schools are catching up to what they were last year.

For the first few weeks of school the district's suspension rate was down by 55 percent from last year. That includes long and short term suspensions. But as time has passed, things are starting to level off.

As of mid-December the district's suspension rate was down by 18 percent. The district has been tracking the data and is comparing the numbers, week-by-week, to last year's.

Oklahoma City Public Schools began working to reduce suspensions after the Office of Civil Rights started investigating them for suspending minority students at higher rates than others. A recent study out of UCLA also found that the district had some of the highest suspension rates in the country.

The district recently approved a new code of conduct that changes the way students are disciplined. That went in to effect on Monday.

Emily Wendler was KOSU's education reporter from 2015 to 2019.
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