Understanding Discipline Data

Cautions | Definitions | Calculating Rates | Sources of Data | Using WINSS

Cautions

1. In 2006-07, the School Performance Report Discipline Collection was replaced by the ISES (Individual Student Enrollment System) Discipline Collection. Movement to ISES was a major change for Wisconsin and for school districts. It marked the use of a unique student ID to collect a wide range of data about disciplinary removals and the incidents leading to those removals to meet new requirements in law. WINSS data about suspensions and expulsions were included in this transition year collection and are not comprehensive so should be interpreted with caution.
2. If 2004-2005 percents and rates for your district are significantly higher or lower than expected, then the likely cause is 2004-2005 enrollment counts or attendance data that don't provide a true picture of your district. Major changes in WI student data collection systems were implemented in 2004-05. 2004-05 student enrollment counts and days of attendance were included in this transition year collection and are not comprehensive. If the reported 2004-05 enrollment counts are higher or lower than the actual counts, then reported incidents rates and suspension/expulsion percents based on these enrollment counts will be lower or higher than actual rates or percents. Also, 2004-05 suspension/expulsion rates based on possible days of attendance may be an issue, depending on the quality of your district's 2004-05 attendance data. For more information, see cautions about the 2004-05 enrollment and attendance data.
3. Note that counts of students suspended or expelled are for the entire school year, but enrollment counts are as of a date in fall of that year. For this reason, if a student group of interest is small or highly mobile, then it is possible for the reported percent of students in that group who were suspended/expelled to exceed 100%.

How is suspension defined?

Suspensions, also known as out-of-school suspensions, are absences from school imposed by the school district for disciplinary reasons. [More]

How is expulsion defined?

Expulsions are sanctions imposed on students by formal school board action which, for purposes of discipline, prohibit students from attending school. Expulsion action is described in ss. 120.13(1)(c) and 119.25, Wis. Stats. [More]

How are suspension and expulsion percents/rates reported?

Rates are reported in two ways: (1) suspended or expelled students as a percent of enrollment and (2) school days lost due to suspension or expulsion as a percent of possible attendance days.

The percent of students suspended is the number of students in a group who were suspended during the school year divided by total enrollment of students in that group on the enrollment count date. The group might be the state, district, school, or demographic group.

The percent of students expelled is the number of students in a group who were expelled during the school year divided by the total enrollment of students in that group on the enrollment count date.

Note that students who are removed (suspended or expelled) multiple times from the same school during the same school year are counted only once in that school's "number of students suspended" and only once in that school's "number of students expelled." If a student's disability status changes during the school year, to ensure unduplicated counts of students across disability status groups within the same school, that student is assigned to only one disability status group for WINSS and SPR school discipline reporting purposes. Beginning with collection of discipline data in ISES in 2006-07, this assignment has been made at DPI based on each student's disability status at the time of his/her most recent removal (suspension or expulsion) from the school for that school year.

The suspension rate is the number of days lost to suspension divided by the possible days of attendance.

The expulsion rate is the number of days lost to expulsion (i.e., number of days expelled) divided by the possible days of attendance.

When incidents occur near the end of one school year and the removals resulting from those incidents start in the following school year, all suspension/expulsion rates and percents associated with those removals are reported in the latter school year.

How are incident rates calculated?

The incident rate is calculated for each school by summing the number of incidents for each incident-type/removal-type/student-group combination, dividing that sum by the number of students enrolled in that student-group, and multiplying that quotient by 1000. Incidents are counted by incident type (weapon/drug related, not weapon/drug related), and by removal type (suspension or expulsion), and by student group (grade, race, gender, disability), without regard to the number of times individual students are disciplined. For example, if an individual student is suspended 3 times for 3 incidents then this counts as 3 incidents. Alcohol-related incidents are counted under weapon/drug-related incidents.

How are students counted in post expulsion reports?

Any student whose expulsion period start date is within a given school year is counted in "length of expulsion" and "post expulsion services" reports for that school year. Any student whose expulsion period expiration date is within a given school year is counted in "returns to school" reports for that school year.

What is the grade range covered by discipline rates?

Wisconsin collects and reports discipline data for all students regardless of grade. Data are disaggregated by grade and in several other ways. For grade level disaggregation purposes students below 5-year-old kindergarten are counted in a single group called Pre-K or Pre-Kindergarten. Students in this Pre-K group include students with grade level codes K3, K4, and PK in our individual student data collection.

What are the sources of discipline data?

Prior to 2006-07, suspension and expulsion data came from local school districts as part of the School Performance Report data collection.

Prior to 2004-05, enrollments come from the Fall Enrollment Report (PI-1290) except that counts by disability are based on the PI 2197 Federal Student Data Collection (AKA December 1 Child Count).

Beginning with 2004-05, enrollment counts and possible days of attendance are based on data collected by the Indvidual Student Enrollment System (ISES).

Beginning with 2006-07, suspension and expulsion data are based on data collected by the Indvidual Student Enrollment System (ISES).

Where can I get more information about using data on WINSS?

For more information about the WINSS Data Analysis Section, see Data Analysis Section - Frequently Asked Questions and/or Tips for First-time Users of the Data Analysis Section

Discipline data are publicly reported annually by public schools through the School Performance Report (SPR).

See the Data Errata page for corrections submitted by school districts after final publication of WINSS and other reports.

Related Web Pages:

• Answers to Frequently Asked School Discipline Questions
• Disciplinary Action Advisor (a guide to help schools appropriately apply the law when students with disabilities are subjected to disciplinary removals from school)
• Classroom Management and School Discipline (a toolkit for creating effective learning environments)
• Self-Evaluation Guide: Trends and Patterns of Disciplinary Actions and Handling of Pupil Harassment
• School Performance Report Collection - 2005-06 Data Definitions
• ISES Discipline Data Collection and Reporting - 2006-07 and Beyond

For questions about this information, contact dpistats@dpi.wi.gov (608) 267-3166

Last updated on 12/16/2011 7:28:09 AM