Report: Some Tennessee students with disabilities face unlawful removals from schools

• A new report from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office shows “informal removals” keep some students with disabilities from an education mandated by federal law.
• The report urges changes in how informal removals are conducted, documented and reported.

Students with disabilities are facing unlawful removals from classrooms in Tennessee — and it’s going largely undocumented, according to a new study.

The study, released Wednesday by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability, examines what it calls “informal removals” of students with disabilities. As an example, an informal removal can happen when a school asks a parent to pick up a child early due to disruptive behavior. But those removals may run afoul of state and federal regulations for students with disabilities that enshrine their right to a free and appropriate education and protect them from discriminatory disciplinary actions.

“A pattern of informal removals can result in a significant loss of instructional time for students with disabilities and, for those assigned to inclusive general education classes, reduce the time spent being educated alongside their general education peers,” the study stated.

Here’s what else to know about the study, which stems from a legislative request made to the Comptroller’s office in 2024.

A push to track informal removals, improve support

Since informal removals are not documented or tracked by state or district officials, it’s unclear how often they occur in Tennessee, the study stated. It recommended that district and school leaders examine their practices, create or update policies and properly document removals and disciplinary actions against students with disabilities.

It also recommended that schools examine the following:

• Training for general education teachers on how to teach and discipline students with disabilities.
• Space and staffing needs to support students with disabilities.
• The appropriateness of classroom placements of students with individualized education plans.
• De-escalation and behavioral intervention techniques for students with disabilities.

Survey: Staff shortages, lack of space and training drive informal removals

Generally speaking, hundreds of school principals surveyed for the study said they believe informal removals happen in Tennessee but could not provide precise numbers on them. The principals also largely agreed that a small subset of students with severe behavioral issues are more likely to be removed than other students with disabilities. Respondents said those issues include violent, destructive or insubordinate behavior by the students.

A shortage of special education staff was the biggest contributing factor to informal removals, according to the survey. Respondents also frequently cited a lack of facilities and space for students with disabilities and a lack of training for general education teachers on how to handle students with disabilities in their classes.

Insights into informal removals are limited

While the study included the survey and a wide variety of interviews with state and district officials, advocates and others, it noted that its insights are limited. That’s due in part to a lack of documentation of informal removals. A relatively low survey response rate and possible reluctance by school leaders to speak candidly about informal removals are also a factor.

Learn more

Read the full study and find more resources on informal removals and the rights of students with disabilities at TNcot.cc/orea.