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The study is also critical of DPS' zero tolerance approach on discipline, saying it goes too far.

"I think there's a tendency to criminalize students of color," said Pam Martinez, co-director of Padres Unidos, a group that advocates for Hispanic rights in Denver. "We need to take clear, decisive action to address that and turn it around."

Padres Unidos authored the study in partnership with the Advancement Project, a national racial justice organization.

School district officials don't dispute the statistics, but do take issue with their interpretation.

"We don't on a whim - because a kid was pushing or shoving - expel," said Bob Anderson, the district's director of prevention and intervention initiatives. "Our real focus is to keep our learning environment safe."

The study found that the number of students expelled rose to 146 in 2003-2004 from 116 in 2000-2001. And that 53 percent of the expulsions in 2003-2004 were for "non-violent" acts rather than more serious transgressions such as weapons or drugs.

Over the past four years, the number of suspensions has increased to 13,423 in 2003-2004 from 9,846 in 2000-2001.

"They make it sound like we round 'em up and get 'em out of there," district spokesman Mark Stevens said. "This is safety-net city."

Officials at DPS said 90 percent of students expelled end up in the district's many alternative schools and programs.

Stevens did acknowledge a racial gap in how students are disciplined.

"Even when the (school) staff is well-represented by minorities, we still see some of these patterns," Stevens said. "It bears ongoing work and investigation."

Anderson said the district has seen more expulsions in recent years because of more serious offenses.

"The situation with drugs is up noticeably," Anderson said. "We're seeing an increased amount of kids not only in possession but using on campus."

Bullying and gang activity are increasing, and there are more reports of sexual harassment in fourth through eighth grades and sex assaults in middle schools, Anderson said.

Martinez said youths often are kicked out of school for nonviolent "subjective" offenses, such as verbal fights, obscenities, inappropriate clothing or bullying.

"Why can we not find ways to deal with these minor offenses in school and not miss class time . . . and not end up with the start of a record in the juvenile criminal justice system?" Martinez asked.

The study found that the number of DPS students ticketed or arrested by police has climbed to 1,401 in 2003-2004 from 818 in 2000-2001. Yet 68 percent of the cases heard in Denver County Court were dismissed in 2004. Data for the study were culled from East, West, North and South high schools and Lake and Rishel middle schools.

Anderson said the district is already creating some alternative discipline programs suggested in the study such as peer mediation and conflict resolution.

Stevens pointed out that three years ago the district came under intense pressure for not reporting all potential crimes to police after a 14-year-old girl was threatened with expulsion if she reported a sex assault and there was no conviction.

"There was sleeplessness around this district about what we were and weren't doing," Stevens said. "The simple message was: When in doubt, report."

Nohely Escalera, 14, a West High School student, said she was suspended for three days for wearing a low-cut top. Timothy Romero, 17, said a friend was suspended for walking the hallway at the wrong time.

"They worry more about how we dress than our education," said Escalera's cousin and West senior Nancy Figueroa, 18.

But West student Deisy Flores, 16, said students who fight should get suspended. "If you don't do anything to people who fight, they're more likely to do it again," Flores said.

Jane Grady, assistant director at the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado, said DPS is "doing the right things."

"It's possible there is some overreaction from time to time," Grady said. "But in the case of incidents in Minnesota and Columbine, wouldn't we all have liked somebody to overreact at some point?"

Report's findings

A study prepared in part by Padres and Jovenes Unidos of Denver takes aim at the rising number of Denver Public Schools students who face discipline.

Number of students ticketed or arrested by police:

• 2000-01......818

• 2001-02......1,359

• 2002-03......1,390

• 2003-04......1,401

The study says:

Prevention and intervention programs are the most effective methods for addressing school violence and creating a productive learning environment.

Some solutions:

• School districts should limit suspensions, expulsions and arrests to conduct that poses a serious threat to safety.

• Schools should adopt clear and concise discipline guidelines that provide students and parents with notice of potential disciplinary actions for specific offenses.

• School districts should establish discipline oversight committees to handle complaints about school discipline practices and review discipline and arrest statistics to ensure that discipline is meted out in a fair, nondiscriminatory manner.Source: Education On Lockdown: The Schoolhouse To Jailhouse Track

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