Referrals to Texas Disciplinary
Alternative Education Programs Double in 10 Years

Four out of five students referred to Texas
 DAEPs are not there because of serious offenses

San Antonio (May 21, 2009) – More than three quarters of a million students have been sent to disciplinary alternative education programs in the last decade. This is not what the
Texas state legislature had in mind in 1995 when it required schools to establish the programs. The Intercultural Development Research Association released a policy update today finding that alternative educational programs are being used as warehouses for “undesirable” students who, once there, get little support. They never catch up academically because most of their teachers are not qualified to teach them, and those who are qualified don’t have a clue as to what they were being taught because there is little or no communication between DAEPs and sending schools.

Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs in Texas – A 2009 Update presents the latest information on the status of disciplinary alternative education programs in Texas
 . Key findings include:

  • There is no easy way to really know how students in DAEPs are doing because Texas
         still fails to collect all of the data needed.
  • There are more students in DAEPs, and one out of three students has been referred to a DAEP multiple times.
  • Four out of five students referred to Texas DAEPs are not there because of serious offenses.
  • Students spend an average of 36 days in DAEPs – that’s seven school weeks.
  • Hispanic, African American, male and special education students primarily make up Texas DAEP referrals.
  • Eighth and ninth graders are more likely to be referred to DAEPs, but elementary students also are referred.
  • Students in DAEPs score poorly in TAKS reading and mathematics.
  • There is no easy way to find out if teachers in DAEPs are certified and teaching in their core content areas.

“Despite improvements in the decade since IDRA’s first study, disciplinary alternative education programs are still being used as dumping grounds for ‘undesirable’ students who, once there, get little or no support,” commented Dr. María "Cuca" Robledo Montecel, IDRA President.

In addition to research findings, the publication lists recommendations for state-level action. Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs in Texas
 – A 2009 Update and related news are available free online at: http://www.idra.org/education-policy/.

# # #

Contact: Christie L. Goodman , APR, at IDRA, 210-444-1710; christie.goodman@idra.org

Share