In the 1980s and 1990s, schools all over America adopted the zero tolerance policy. It was installed with the original intention to lower drug- and gang-related violence and adapted to the general school populations. Research has shown, over time, that the zero tolerance policy is ineffective in improving school social climates, students delinquent behavior or improving overall learning environments.
The U.S. Department of Education warns that a student’s removal from school does not improve “school climate or behavior,” and also recognizes that suspensions resulting from the policy brings about negative outcomes, including lower academic performance, increased drop-out rates, more frequent failure to graduate on time and an increase in disciplinary exclusion.