Kept Out: Barriers to Meaningful Education in the School-to-Prison Pipeline

“’Keep Out’ is a phenomenon that occurs when students try to reenter a setting where they can access meaningful education and are denied by the policies and practices of the education and juvenile justice systems. Keep Out is a part of the larger School-To-Prison Pipeline. The Pipeline includes disciplinary and discretionary policies that push youth out of school and into the criminal justice system” (p. 7). This report examines the barriers that exist for youth seeking an education following a removal from school. Sections of this report following an executive summary are: introduction; findings about formal and informal policies and practices, lack of coordination and assistance, and failure to educate and support the whole child; conclusion; and recommendations addressing the report’s findings.