In many ways, preschool creates the foundation for school success. The Denver Preschool Program (DPP) believes strongly that early childhood education and preschool should offer a welcoming environment for every child. It is while attending preschool that children learn to love learning; when we use suspensions and expulsions, we send the opposite message. Such exclusionary discipline tells young children that school is not a welcoming place, which can trigger long-term consequences.

The Denver Preschool Program provides tuition support and information to all Denver families with a 4-year-old, allowing thousands to attend the preschool of their parents’ choice each year. And, because the quality of preschool matters, DPP also invests in Denver’s preschool programs to help improve the quality of their learning environments.

Disturbingly, children of color – particularly young boys of color – are expelled at much higher rates[1] than their white peers. Too many children are being suspended for developmentally appropriate behavior, such as temper tantrums, bathroom mishaps and using vulgar language. Discipline for these infractions should focus on alternatives that do not remove these children from the classroom. Missing instruction at this early age contributes to the achievement gap in later years.

Currently, Colorado schools use the same guidance for suspending and expelling 4-year-olds as 14-year-olds. This makes no sense, given the developmental maturity of young children. Preschoolers learn reading and math skills, but they also learn social and emotional skills. We would not expel a child who is struggling in reading or math. Why would we expel a child who is learning to master social or emotional skills?

For these reasons, DPP supports House Bill 17-1210 that is designed to reduce the use of suspensions and expulsions for our youngest learners. The bill adds a new section[2] that updates guidance to administrators regarding out-of-school suspensions and expulsions for very young children – those in public preschools (ages 3 and 4) and children in kindergarten through second grade. The bill focuses on alternatives to suspension for non-threatening behavior, such as prevention, intervention, mediation and counseling. The bill does not affect federal laws governing out-of-school suspension when safety is involved.

The data showing children of color are disproportionately being suspended from preschool suggest that the cause could be stereotyping and implicit bias. To support preschool program directors and teachers in our 250-preschool network, the DPP has offered culturally sensitive, evidence-based discipline training in the past and current school years. In early 2016, DPP forums educated attendees about current disparities in discipline and implicit bias. The forums also covered cultural humility and developing meaningful relationships with dual language learners and their families. The forums this school year taught new ways to support students exhibiting challenging behaviors by teaching social-emotional skills through classroom routines.

The issue of preschool suspensions and expulsions is a national one. The DPP has been working with a coalition to address this problem in Colorado. This legislation should help reduce racial disparities in achievement by ensuring children in ECE through grade 2 are not missing instruction when alternatives exist to address their behavior.

[1] https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/policy-statement-ece-expulsions-suspensions.pdf

[2] Colorado Revised States adds 22-33-106.1 Suspension – expulsion – preschool through second grade – definition