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Black Students Disciplined at Higher Rate in WV Schools

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – Data reveals black students are disciplined at higher rates than white students and other minority groups in West Virginia’s public schools.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports data from the West Virginia Department of Education presented at a conference Monday shows black students account for 10 percent of students expelled and 10 percent of students who receive out-of-school suspensions, despite making up less than 5 percent of students in the public school system.

During the 2015-16 school year, 40 percent of all black students from low socio-economic backgrounds were disciplined, a rate 12 percent higher than the average for all students.

Retired Center for Professional Development CEO Pat Kusimo says teachers and administrators need more cultural sensitivity training across the board.