States’ Growing Commitment to Preventing Young Children’s Expulsion from Early Care and Education Programs: RESULTS OF A 50-STATE POLICY SURVEY

This report examines features of states’ expulsion and suspension prevention policies, based on survey responses and interviews with selected states. The results point to the widespread efforts states are making to develop and implement expulsion prevention policies. Features of policies are varied, and include supports for programs (e.g., professional development, early childhood mental health consultation), requirements for data collection, and changes in program standards and work conditions. Many policies have explicit goals for reducing disparities in exclusionary practices related to race and disability. Promising approaches in five states are highlighted. The brief makes several recommendations for designing expulsion and suspension policies with features that can help ensure strong implementation that significantly reduces exclusionary practices and the racial disparities found in these practices.