A Clark County School District (CCSD) educator has raised concerns that the district's official student discipline figures do not provide a complete picture, alleging that thousands of suspensions are going unrecorded. Dr. Kyle Rogers, a teacher with over a decade of experience, claims that a procedural loophole results in students missing significant classroom time that is not officially classified as suspension.
Rogers, who obtained seven years of disciplinary data through public records requests, asserts that students are losing more than 100,000 instructional days annually due to these uncounted removals. He plans to present his findings at a public town hall to bring attention to the issue.
Key Takeaways
- Dr. Kyle Rogers, a CCSD teacher, claims the district underreports student suspensions.
- The core issue involves students being removed from campus for "investigations" without the time being logged as a formal suspension.
- Rogers' analysis of seven years of data suggests students miss over 100,000 days of instruction per year due to these unrecorded removals.
- The district's official reports show a downward trend in suspensions, with a reported 10% decrease in the last year.
- A town hall is scheduled for Saturday, October 11th, for Rogers to present his data to the public.
Discrepancy in Disciplinary Reporting
The Clark County School District regularly presents student discipline statistics during its board meetings, often highlighting positive trends. In a recent update over the summer, the district reported a continued decline in disciplinary actions since the return from pandemic-related closures.
"We are observing positive trends related to overall student discipline," stated Kevin McPartlin, Associate Superintendent of CCSD. "We continue our downward trend of student suspensions over the past three years."
According to McPartlin, schools issued approximately 2,200 fewer suspensions in the most recent reporting period compared to the third quarter of the previous year. This figure represents a 10 percent decrease in total suspensions, and the data is publicly available on the CCSD website.
The "Investigative Period" Loophole
However, Dr. Kyle Rogers argues these numbers are misleading because they don't account for all instances where students are removed from school. He points to a specific practice where students are sent home while the school investigates an incident.
"Sometimes the district will remove a kid for during an incident occurring and what the district claims is we need time to investigate the incident," Rogers explained. "And so, they say, ‘We’re going to wait, and you’re not allowed in the building for two days.’”
Rogers contends that because this time is not officially labeled a "suspension," it does not appear in the district's public data, despite the student being barred from campus and missing instruction.
The Scale of Unreported Absences
After analyzing extensive data obtained through open records laws, Rogers concluded that this practice is widespread and has a significant cumulative effect on student learning. He claims the unrecorded removals amount to a substantial loss of educational time.
"There are thousands, really tens of thousands of suspensions. That isn’t showing up in the data that anyone knows about," Rogers stated.
His research suggests a staggering number of lost school days. "Students are missing, collectively in a single school year based on the data I have, over 100,000 days of missed instruction," he asserted.
By the Numbers: The Allegation
- 100,000+: Estimated number of instructional days lost per year due to unrecorded removals, according to Rogers' data.
- 7 Years: The span of disciplinary data Rogers obtained and analyzed.
- 10%: The official decrease in suspensions reported by CCSD in its latest update.
Rogers believes this missed classroom time directly impacts student outcomes, contributing to lower performance on standardized tests and a weaker sense of connection to their school community. When students are frequently removed from their learning environment, it can disrupt their academic progress and social development.
An Advocate for At-Risk Students
Dr. Rogers is not a newcomer to the challenges facing students in the district. With approximately 11 years of experience as an educator, he has dedicated most of his career to alternative education. He currently teaches at Peterson Academic School, a facility for middle and high school students with behavioral challenges.
His work places him in daily contact with some of the most at-risk children in CCSD. His commitment extends beyond the classroom; Rogers is also a foster parent, giving him a personal perspective on the needs of vulnerable youth.
"I’ve seen how when you love on them… when you take care of them, when you don’t push them out, you continue to call them back in, they can thrive and they can succeed," Rogers shared. "And that’s what I want to see for all of our students."
His motivation for collecting and presenting this data stems from his belief that transparent reporting is the first step toward creating more supportive and effective school environments for every child.
Upcoming Town Hall to Reveal Data
To bring his findings to the attention of parents, community members, and district officials, Dr. Rogers has organized a public town hall. He plans to present the seven years of data he has compiled, which he says is not otherwise available to the public in its raw form.
The event is intended to start a community conversation about how student discipline is measured and managed within CCSD. Rogers hopes that by sharing his analysis, he can prompt a review of current policies and ensure that all missed instructional time is accurately tracked.
Event Details:
- What: Public Town Hall on CCSD Student Discipline Data
- When: Saturday, October 11th, at 10 a.m.
- Where: Clark County Library on Flamingo
The district's most recent presentation on student discipline remains available online for public viewing. The upcoming town hall aims to add a new layer of data and perspective to the ongoing discussion about student welfare and academic success in Clark County.
