Since zero-tolerance policies were put into effect, suspension rates have risen dramatically in the United States (Ayers et al., 2001). This fact is unsettling because research shows that suspension has a negative impact on both academic achievement and poor life outcomes (Rausch & Skiba, 2005). The goal of this quantitative study was to explore the predictive power of in-school and out-of-school suspension on academic achievement in Grades 6-8 in New Jersey by controlling for student demographics and school climate variables. This study used hierarchical multiple regression to analyze the data and used a fixed effects model to control for the year. The analysis of the data determined if there is a significant relationship between suspension and academic achievement and whether a school's suspension rate could predict a school's scores on the PARCC examination. This study concluded that there is a significant and negative relationship between in-school suspension and academic achievement. The findings also revealed that there was not a significant relationship between out-of-school suspension and academic achievement, which contradicts the research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]