Please see this report, dated March, 2015, the State Department of Education, regarding the use of suspension and expulsion during the last school year. Most concerning is that despite the continuous drop in overall suspension and expulsion rates for children in the state, the number of suspensions for children under the age of 7 has increased during the past two school years. OCA agrees strongly with its colleagues at the State Department of Education that the use of exclusionary discipline for our youngest students is harmful and unproductive and that continued and urgent efforts must be made to reduce and eliminate suspension and expulsion for children under the age of 7. Sarah Eagan, JD State Child Advocate

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