Annual Report FY 2014

Highlights: July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014

Georgia Appleseed is helping parents and schools create productive learning climates that keep kids in class and out of the school-to-prison pipeline. 

Georgia Appleseed’s landmark study of effective student discipline revealed that many Georgia public schools have inordinately high out-of-school suspension rates for minor infractions, often pushing children out of the classroom and into the courtroom.

One way to keep kids in class is to create a school environment that supports productive learning and reinforces positive behaviors. Georgia Appleseed is working in Bibb and Muscogee Counties to gauge the success of school climate change and other strategies in driving down the numbers of kids suspended from school, while improving behavior, academics and teacher morale.

Information is an important tool in bringing about change. So, Georgia Appleseed created its Keeping Kids in Class Toolkit, providing easy-to-access and easy-to-understand data on the out-of-school suspension rates for every public school in Georgia. The Toolkit is helping parents understand the problem so they can work strategically with school leaders to keep kids in class and out of court.