| Over the past decade schools have become the focal point in a fierce debate regarding student and staff safety. The debate was brought to the national level when the National Panel on Goals declared in their seventh goal that, by the year 2000, every school in the United States would be free of drugs, violence, and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol and would offer a disciplined environment conducive to learning.; School governing boards, administrators, teachers, and parents have struggled to create safe learning environments by managing disruptive or dangerous students. One common method employed to remove disruptive or dangerous students is expulsion from school. California's education code provides guidance for districts regarding the expulsion process and defines the offenses for expulsion.; Expulsion from school is the final separation between a student and the school. The education code requires that, for certain offenses, a rehabilitation plan be provided to the student and parent that outlines a mechanism for the student's return to the traditional school environment after expulsion.; In many cases, the rehabilitation plan assigns the student to a court or community school with other dangerous or disruptive students. Many parents elect not to send their children to these schools, and the result is a growing number of students falling through the cracks in the educational system. This study looked at parents' perceptions of the expulsion process and explored the options that governing boards provided and the options that parents wanted for the expelled student. The goal of the study was to determine whether parents understood the expulsion process. For those parents who declared that the process confused them, questions were asked to pinpoint the extent of their confusion regarding this very complicated legal proceeding. Parents were asked whether they agreed with the governing board's decisions and whether they agreed with the placement options offered for their child. If they did not agree with the placement, they were asked what they thought would be a more appropriate placement for their child and what should be in place for their child to return successfully to the traditional school. |
