Lost and Turned Out

Abstract

This study examines the experiences of 37 students who were suspended or expelled from school and were attending an urban public alternative high school in the northeast. The analysis specifically focuses on the loss of classroom instruction time and its implications for academic achievement and on the socioemotional experiences of students excluded from the educational mainstream. This study draws on survey data and the author's own experience as a teacher at the school to show how school exclusion was related to students' academic and social and emotional well-being. Implications for further research on this topic are explored.