Trump administration proposes dropping Head Start limits on suspending preschoolers
In short
The Trump administration has proposed changes to Head Start regulations that would remove federal rules against suspending and expelling preschoolers, Associated Press, The Boston Globe and ABC News reported. The proposal would instead ask providers to write their own discipline policies based on state and local licensing requirements. Advocates and experts cited by the outlets fear children in states without their own protections could face more punitive treatment.
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The Trump administration has proposed changes to Head Start regulations that would remove existing federal rules against suspending and expelling preschoolers, according to Associated Press, The Boston Globe and ABC News. The proposal would eliminate federal guidelines that keep children who exhibit certain behaviors from being removed from Head Start programs, the Globe and ABC reported. Instead, providers would be asked to make their own discipline policies by following state and local licensing requirements. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The coverage illustrates what the current guidelines mean in practice through the case of Xavier Rogers, a child in a Chicago-area Early Head Start program. Around his second birthday, his mother and teachers noticed he wanted to play alone and would sometimes bite and hit other children in his class. Rather than remove him from the class, the preschool gave the family extra support from a social-emotional and mental healthcare team. “With these supports in place, I feel like he has grown tremendously,” said his mother, Joanna Isitt, who is herself a Head Start teacher. Now 4, she said, he is more aware of his own feelings and those of others and less likely to resort to negative behaviors. [ 2 , 3 ]
The family lives in Illinois, which has its own regulations against imposing exclusionary discipline such as suspensions and expulsions on preschoolers, the Globe and ABC reported. Some other states, such as South Carolina and Florida, do not. Advocates and experts cited in the coverage fear Head Start students and families in those places could experience a more punitive reality if the proposed changes take effect. The outlets said suspensions and expulsions are associated with negative outcomes, including lower educational achievement. [ 2 , 3 ]
Head Start is described in the coverage as a 61-year-old early childhood education program. ABC News said AP has partnered with The 74, an education-focused nonprofit news outlet, to cover the impact of the administration's proposed changes to the program. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
Head Start is a 61-year-old federal early childhood education program, and the proposed rule would move decisions about removing children from classrooms to state and local licensing rules. According to the coverage, some states such as Illinois have their own rules against exclusionary discipline for preschoolers while others such as South Carolina and Florida do not, so the practical effect would vary by location. The outlets report that suspensions and expulsions are associated with negative outcomes, including lower educational achievement.
Key facts
- The Trump administration has proposed changes to Head Start regulations that would remove rules against suspending and expelling preschoolers. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The proposal would eliminate federal guidelines that keep children who exhibit certain behaviors from being removed from Head Start programs. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Under the proposed rules, providers would make their own discipline policies following state and local licensing requirements. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Head Start is described as a 61-year-old early childhood education program. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Illinois has regulations against imposing exclusionary discipline such as suspensions and expulsions on preschoolers, while states such as South Carolina and Florida do not, according to the coverage. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Suspensions and expulsions are associated with negative outcomes, including lower educational achievement, the coverage said. [ 2 , 3 ]
- AP said it partnered with The 74, an education-focused nonprofit news outlet, to cover the impact of the proposed changes. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Trump administration has proposed changes to Head Start regulations that would remove rules against suspending and expelling preschoolers. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The proposal would eliminate federal guidelines that keep children who exhibit certain behaviors from being removed from Head Start programs, and would ask providers to follow state and local licensing requirements for discipline policies. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Some states, including South Carolina and Florida, do not have their own regulations against exclusionary discipline for preschoolers, while Illinois does. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the proposal has been finalized, when it would take effect and what public comment or review it faces. The documents describe the change as a proposed rule and give no timetable or procedural details.
- The full list of states without their own protections against suspending or expelling preschoolers. The coverage names only South Carolina and Florida as examples and does not provide a complete list.
- The full wording of the reported link between suspensions and expulsions and later outcomes. The sentence in the source text is truncated, ending at “decreased l…”.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Associated Press publishes a headline report on the proposed Head Start rule change. [ 1 ]
- The Boston Globe publishes an article on the proposal, including the case of a Chicago-area family. [ 2 ]
- ABC News publishes an article on the proposal and notes AP's partnership with The 74 to cover its impact. [ 3 ]