Description
Exclusionary discipline in schools has disproportionately impacted Black students for decades. In 1975, just 21 years after the federally mandated desegregation of schools, the disparities in school discipline were documented as a nationwide problem. In the report of 2,862 school districts, Black students were being suspended at two to three times the rate of White students and most of the school suspensions were given for non-dangerous, non-violent offenses such as truancy, tardiness, defiance, or dress code violations. The harmful effects of out-of-school suspensions include significant loss of instructional time, alienation from the educational environment, increased drop-out vulnerability, and increased interaction with the criminal justice system. This study focused on California schools which have successfully prevented a disparity in the use of suspension with Black students. Through survey research and document analysis, trends were identified in school principal beliefs, school-wide goals, and the resources available at the schools. A survey was administered online to eight principals to understand their attitudes toward school discipline and schools’ websites and publicly available documents were reviewed. The principals strongly agreed that schools are responsible for teaching appropriate behavior, suspension should be a last resort response, and getting to know students individually is an important part of discipline. The six school plans reviewed all included goals to reduce the suspension rate and similar programs to achieve that goal. The study emphasizes the importance of recruiting equity-driven leaders who will dedicate resources to developing a positive school culture thereby avoiding an over-reliance on exclusionary practices.
