Corporal Punishment in Arkansas Public Schools, 2000-2001
(Referencing the Arkansas Department of Education SIS database, May, 2002)
 
 
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Arkansas teachers failed to use their heads instead of a board 55,772 times in 2000-2001.
  • The 27,650 children subjected to corporal punishment (6.16% of enrollment) averaged 2 paddlings each.  73,562 of the 448,659 total enrollment attended schools where no one was paddled.
  • Arkansas educators hit more students than did the teachers in 43 other states combined. 
  • These acts violated the principle of non-violent conflict resolution 14 times the national rate.
An African American child was the target in nearly 36 out of every 100 paddlings and was more likely than a White child to be sent to the office.
  • Fewer than 24 out of every 100 children attending our public schools were African American. 
  • Of the students paddled, 32% were African American, or nearly 140% of their "true" proportion.
  • African American pupils were paddled an average 2.28 times each (Whites averaged 1.9).
In 21 out of every 100 times children were intentionally hurt in the name of discipline, the students were identified as "Special Education".
  • Neither special nor unique, corporal punishment is inflicted disproportionately upon this group: 160% of their proportion of the total enrollment.
  • The students' gains, as positive correlates of this treatment, were unmeasured anywhere within the ADE's "Report Card" and they are likewise undocumented, literally, anywhere the researcher or policy maker may look.

Paddling as a Risk Factor of Enrollment in Arkansas Public Schools, 2000-2001 School Year
 
 
Asian/ 
 African   Hispanic  Native 
 White 
 Total 
Pacific Isl.   American  American    Enrollment
 
a Enrollment (by ethnicity), October 2000 3,919 104,216  16,104  2,199   322,221   448,659 
 
Enrollment (by ethnicity), as a percentage 
of total enrollment (a / 448,659) 		 0.87%  23.23%  3.59%  0.49%  71.82% 
 
Paddlings; "Regular" class 65 16,187 725 159 26,923 44,059
 
Paddlings; "Special Ed." 13 4,043 97 22 7,538 11,713
 
Instances of Corporal punishment (by Ethnicity), 2000-2001  78 20,230 822 181 34,461 55,772
 
Students subjected to Corporal punishment 45 8,862 472 98 18,173 27,650
 
Students paddled, as a percentage 
of ethnic enrollment (b / a) 		 1.15% 8.50% 2.93% 4.46% 5.64% 6.16%
 
Students paddled, as a percentage 
of total corporal punishment (b / 27,650) 		 0.16% 32.05% 1.71% 0.35% 65.73%

 

The data we have secured from the Arkansas Department of Education is contained in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets converted from data base queries of tables built from individually submitted public school reports.  If you are interested in specific types of data, just write us and we will attach the file(s) to an email reply to you.  Please also write to us if there is any other assistance we might provide.  Address your messages to:, describe your interest and be sure to make "NHAC.ORG" the subject.