Do I Belong Yet? The Relationship Between Special Education, In-School Suspension, Belonging, and Engagement

Students receiving special education services are disproportionately subjected to exclusionary discipline compared to their nondisabled peers. They also report feeling less connected and engaged at school, which is associated with exclusionary discipline experiences. Using data from the U.S. High School Longitudinal Study (2009), we examined the relationship between special education, in-school suspension, school belonging, and school engagement. In line with past research, we found that students who received special education services were at a higher risk of in-school suspension than their general education peers. Students with higher levels of school engagement were at a lower risk of receiving in-school suspension, regardless of special education services. However, higher levels of school belonging were associated with more suspensions for those receiving special education, while the inverse was true for nonspecial education students. Additional research is needed to understand this unique relationship and its implications for discipline and the school experiences of students with dis/abilities.