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File Structure: Suspension Data

File structure for downloadable files containing student suspension data by race/ethnicity, gender, and student group. Suspension counts, cumulative enrollment, and suspension rate data are provided.

General Description of the Suspension Data File

Field Name Description
Academic Year

The academic year (July 1 – June 30) corresponding to the time period during which the data were collected.

Aggregate Level An indicator of the aggregation level.
  • T = State
  • C = County
  • D = District
  • S = School

Note: One of these values must be chosen to obtain an unduplicated count at the selected level.

County Code A unique two-digit code corresponding to the county.
District Code

A unique five-digit code corresponding to the district.

School Code

A unique seven-digit code corresponding to the school.

County Name County Name.
District Name District or Administrative Authority Name.
School Name School Name.
Charter (All/Y/N)

An indicator of the aggregation level.

  • All = Includes data for all schools regardless of charter status. For Aggregate Levels T, C, and D, data for all schools are included in the aggregate. Charter = All is not applicable for Aggregate Level = S (school-level).

  • Y = Includes only data for charter schools in the selected aggregate for Aggregate Levels T, C, and D. For Aggregate Level = S, a value of Charter = Y indicates that the school is a charter school.

  • N = Includes only data for non-charter schools in the selected aggregate for Aggregate Levels T, C, and D. For Aggregate Level = S, a value of Charter = N indicates that the school is not a charter school.

Note: One of these values must be chosen to obtain an unduplicated count at the selected level.

Reporting Category An indicator of the student group reporting category (race/ethnicity, gender, or student group) disaggregation or subset. Note: Select Reporting Category= TA for aggregate totals without consideration of a Reporting Category student group.
  • RB = African American
  • RI = American Indian or Alaska Native
  • RA = Asian
  • RF = Filipino
  • RH = Hispanic or Latino
  • RD = Not Reported
  • RP = Pacific Islander
  • RT = Two or More Races
  • RW = White
  • GM = Male
  • GF = Female
  • GX = Non-Binary Gender (Beginning 2019–20)
  • GZ = Missing Gender
  • SE = English Learners
  • SD = Students with Disabilities
  • SS = Socioeconomically Disadvantaged
  • SM = Migrant
  • SF = Foster
  • SH = Homeless
  • TA = Total

Note: SD, SS, SM, SF, and SH subgroup data are not available prior to the 2015–16 academic year.

Cumulative Enrollment Cumulative enrollment consists of the total number of unduplicated primary and short-term enrollments within the academic year (July 1 to June 30), regardless of whether the student is enrolled multiple times within a school or district. Cumulative enrollment is calculated at each reporting level (e.g., school, district, county, and state) and therefore is not necessarily additive from one reporting level to the next. For example, if a student is enrolled in multiple schools within a district during the academic year, they are counted once at each school, but only once in the district's cumulative enrollment
Total Suspensions  Total count of ALL suspensions at the selected entity for the selected population using the available filters. Some students may be suspended multiple times and all Suspensions are counted.
Unduplicated Count of Students Suspended (Total) Total distinct count of ALL students suspended one or more times at the selected entity for the selected population using the available filters. Students who are suspended multiple times are only counted once.
Unduplicated Count of Students Suspended (Defiance-Only) Total distinct count of all students suspended one or more times for DEFIANCE-ONLY at the selected entity for the selected population using the available filters. Students who are suspended multiple times are only counted once.
Suspension Rate (Total) The unduplicated count of students suspended divided by the cumulative enrollment at the selected entity for the selected student population.
Suspension Count Violent Incident (Injury)

This Federal Offense Category includes the following California Education Code sections:

  • Sexual Battery/Assault: 48915(c)(4), 48900(n)
  • Caused Physical Injury: 48915(a)(1)(A)
  • Committed Assault or Battery on a School Employee: 48915(a)(1)(E) 
  • Used Force or Violence: 48900(a)(2) 
  • Committed an act of Hate Violence: 48900.3 
  • Hazing: 48900(q)
Suspension Count Violent Incident (No Injury)

This Federal Offense Category includes the following California Education Code sections:

  • Sexual Harassment: 48900.2 
  • Caused, Attempted, or Threatened Physical Injury: 48900(a)(1)
  • Aided or Abetted Physical Injury: 48900(t) 
  • Harassment or Intimidation: 48900.4 
  • Harassment, Intimidation of a Witness: 48900(o) 
  • Made Terrorist Threats: 48900.7 
  • Obscene Acts, Profanity, and Vulgarity: 48900(i) 
  • Bullying: 48900(r)
Suspension Count Weapons Possession

This Federal Offense Category includes the following California Education Code sections:

  • Possession, Sale, Furnishing a Firearm: 48915(c)(1) 
  • Possession, Sale, Furnishing a Firearm or Knife: 48900(b) 
  • Brandishing a Knife: 48915(c)(2)
  • Possession of a Knife or Dangerous Object: 48915(a)(1)(B) 
  • Possession of an Explosive: 48915(c)(5) 
Suspension Count Illicit Drug-Related

This Federal Offense Category includes the following California Education Code sections:

  • Sale of Controlled Substance: 48915(c)(3)
  • Possession of Controlled Substance: 48915(a)(1)(C) 
  • Possession, Use, Sale, or Furnishing a Controlled Substance, Alcohol, Intoxicant: 48900(c) 
  • Offering, Arranging, or Negotiating Sale of Controlled Substances, Alcohol, Intoxicants: 48900(d) 
  • Offering, Arranging, or Negotiating Sale of Drug Paraphernalia: 48900(j) 
  • Offering, Arranging, or Negotiating Sale of Soma: 48900(p)
Suspension Count Defiance-Only

Any suspension associated with a student in which the only offense committed by a student is Disruption is considered a "Defiance-Only" incident. The Defiance-Only Category includes the following California Education Code section:

  • Disruption, Defiance: 48900(k)(1)
Suspension Count Other Reasons

This category includes the following California Education Code sections, most of which are NOT included in any of the Federal Offense Categories. The only offense that is reportable in the Federal category of "Other" is EC 48900(m)—Possession of an Imitation Firearm, the rest of the offenses are not part of the federal hierarchy.

  • Possession of an Imitation Firearm: 48900(m)
  • Possession or Use of Tobacco Products: 48900(h)
  • Property Damage: 48900(f)
  • Robbery or Extortion: 48915(a)(1)(D)
  • Property Theft: 48900(g)
  • Received Stolen Property: 48900(l)
Errata Flag (Y/N) An indicator that the district or independently reporting charter (IRC) school has notified the California Department of Education (CDE) that they certified incorrect data in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) for the associated academic year. If "Y" then please contact the district or IRC for questions about their data.
General Description of the Suspension Data File

The discipline data are submitted by local educational agencies (LEAs) and charter schools to the California Department of Education (CDE) as part of the annual End of Year 3 (EOY 3) data submission in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS). Discipline and Cumulative Enrollment data are reviewed and certified in CALPADS as being accurate by authorized district or school personnel. Cumulative Enrollment data were not included as part of the EOY 3 data submission in years 2011–12 through 2015–16, but were extracted from the CALPADS Operational Data Store (ODS) for these years; however, Cumulative Enrollment data are included as part of the EOY 3 submission for 2016–17 onward. In order to certify data in CALPADS, authorized district or charter school personnel are required to review the accuracy of all data associated with the applicable CALPADS submission. CALPADS certification is a two-step process with Level-2 certification reserved for the district superintendents, charter school administrators, or their designees. Please contact the district or school if you have any questions about their certified CALPADS data.

Source: Discipline and Cumulative Enrollment data are submitted and certified by LEAs and/or charter schools as part of the annual CALPADS End of Year 3 submission.

Footnote 1: An incident is defined as one or more students committing one or more offenses on the same date at the same time.

Note: An asterisk (*) appearing in a data field is used to protect student privacy.

Questions:   Analysis Measurement & Accountability Reporting Division | dro@cde.ca.gov
Last Reviewed: Thursday, November 21, 2024
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