Racial Discipline Gap In Minnesota Schools Widens

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) - The gap is widening between white students and students of color when it comes to discipline in Minnesota schools.

The total number of disciplinary actions against students has been decreasing for years. But minority students made up a bigger chunk of disciplined students in the 2013-2014 school year than the year before.

Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius says the decrease in overall discipline is encouraging but there's more work to be done. She says it's important to decrease suspensions because students can't learn if they're not in class.

Cassellius supports a push by Gov. Mark Dayton to expand a behavioral education program into more schools.

Fights, threats and disruptive behavior were some of the most common reasons Minnesota students were disciplined in the 2013-2014 school year.