JUDY WOODRUFF:

With more than three million students suspended from public schools each year, President Obama and the federal Department of Education want schools to find alternatives to sending kids home.

Studies show that students who are suspended are more likely to be held back a grade, to drop out of school, or end up in trouble with the law. Most suspended students are in high school or, less often, middle school.

But in some schools, children as young as 5 or 6 are being disciplined this way.

NewsHour special correspondent for education John Merrow looks at high-profile charter schools network in New York City.