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Corporal Punishment in Tennessee

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October 2018
Author: Lauren Spires

Appendix E (October 2018)
Report (October 2018)

In March 2018, OREA published a report on corporal punishment in Tennessee public schools, including an analysis of its use for students with disabilities. At the time of publication, the most current data available on corporal punishment use was from the 2013-14 school year. In late April 2018, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the U.S. Department of Education released data from the 2015-16 school year. This report includes an updated analysis of corporal punishment use in Tennessee public schools from the past four reporting years (2009-10, 2011-12, 2013-14, and 2015-16) and information on the two laws that were passed by the Tennessee General Assembly in response to OREA’s March 2018 report.

Analysis of the newly released data on corporal punishment found similar results to the original report:

  • Students with disabilities received corporal punishment at a higher statewide rate than students without disabilities for three of the four most recent reporting years.
  • The number of students with disabilities in Tennessee receiving corporal punishment declined from 2009-10 to 2015-16, by about 19 percent. In comparison, the number of students without disabilities receiving corporal punishment declined by about 58 percent across the same time frame.
  • Of the schools that used corporal punishment for students with and without disabilities, about 80 percent used corporal punishment at a higher rate for students with disabilities in all four reporting years.
  • Appendix E, which includes school-level rates of corporal punishment use for students with and without disabilities, has also been updated with the 2015-16 data.

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March 2018
Author: Lauren Spires

Full Report
Executive Summary
Appendix E
Legislative Update (August 2018)

As requested by members of the Tennessee General Assembly, this report examines the use of corporal punishment in Tennessee, including an analysis of its use for students with disabilities. Researchers examined federal and state laws, local school board policies, interviewed school and district personnel, surveyed principals and directors of schools, and analyzed available data on corporal punishment use.

Analysis of the available data on corporal punishment use found that students with disabilities received corporal punishment at a higher statewide rate than students without disabilities for two of the three most recent reporting years. The number of students with disabilities in Tennessee receiving corporal punishment declined from 2009-10 to 2013-14, by about 7 percent. In comparison, the number of students without disabilities receiving corporal punishment declined by about 46 percent across the same time frame. Of the schools that used corporal punishment for students with and without disabilities, about 80 percent used corporal punishment at a higher rate for students with disabilities in all three reporting years.

The report includes policy considerations for the General Assembly and school leaders. OREA has also created a supplemental appendix of all schools that reported using corporal punishment in one or more of the last three reporting years, including the number of students with and without disabilities who received corporal punishment and the corresponding rates of use.