Research has shown that nationally, there is a difference in school discipline rates for minority students compared to White students (Anyone et.al, 2021; Wiley, 2021). Black and Brown students have higher rates of exclusionary school discipline, like in-school and out of school suspension, and receive more strict consequences for the same…

Disproportionate discipline, also known as the discipline gap, is the result of the frequent occurrence of punitive or exclusionary discipline measures. It represents a flaw in the educational system that negatively disrupts the African American student population more than any other demographic. This form of punishment removes students from the…

Nearly 3.5 million American students (K-12) experience some form of ostracization from educational settings yearly in the form of In-School-Suspension (ISS), Out-of-School suspension (OSS), or expulsion. Impact research reveals that exclusionary practices correlate with negative outcomes for students including academic achievement (e.g., lower…

America's public-school systems have a long history of disproportionately disciplining Black students. First identified in a groundbreaking study in 1975, the issue of over-disciplining our nation's Black students is negatively impacting their academic performance and economic opportunities. Students who receive exclusionary discipline, such as…

Disproportionality is defined as the extent to which membership in a given group, such as gender, race/ethnicity, or socioeconomic strata, differentially affects the probability of a given outcome (e.g., being placed into special education or being assigned an out-of-school suspension). Underpinnings of disproportionality study include the broad…

Racial disparities are evident in both educational outcomes and incarceration rates when comparing African American and white youth. It is essential to understand the school-to-prison pipeline and the ways in which school discipline practices and other factors disproportionately affect African American students, limit educational attainment, and…

The overrepresentation of Black/African American students receiving exclusionary discipline in K-12 schools in the United States is a persistent problem that harms Black/African American students' academic outcomes, contributes to social emotional challenges, increases the likelihood of student dropouts, and fuels the school-to-prison pipeline.…

There are large differences in expulsions and suspensions on the basis of race starting in preschool and divergent explanations for their cause. The current study explores how developmental methodology can shed light on this vexing issue. We leverage two measures: (1) childcare provider complaints about children's behavior and their recommended…

Suspension is defined as a temporary removal from the educational setting where a child is able to return after a determined period of time, while expulsion is the complete and permanent removal of a child from an entire educational system (Gilliam and Shahar 2006). Preschool children have been found to be both suspended and expelled at higher…

Data on school discipline inequities have shown disproportionate numbers of Black students suspended and expelled compared to their non-Black counterparts. Despite the implementation of evidence-based solutions such as positive behavior supports and intervention, educator professional development, and restorative practices aimed at closing the…

This research describes the application of improvement science focusing on implementing restorative practices (RP) to decrease suspension and expulsion rates of Black students. Black students are suspended and expelled disproportionately compared to their White peers in South Carolina. Due to the high suspension and expulsion rates, school…

Disparity exists in disciplinary actions taken toward Black students compared to White students in the public schools of a county school district in a Southwest U.S. state. Successful school leadership practices are needed to minimize the disproportionality of Black students being expelled, suspended, and routed to the school-to-prison pipeline.…

Although there is increasing awareness of policy decisions contributing to disproportionality in exclusionary practices, few studies have empirically examined common elements of discipline policies across the nation. We utilized a methodological review and the Checklist for Analyzing Discipline Policies and Procedures for Equity (CADPPE) to…

We explore the discipline gap between Black and White students and between Hispanic and White students using a statewide student-level panel data set on Indiana public school students attending prekindergarten through 12th grade from 2008-2009 through 2013-2014. We demonstrate that the Black-White disciplinary gaps, defined in a variety of ways…

Background/Context: Increasing evidence suggests a connection between racial differences in rates of exclusionary discipline (suspensions/expulsions) and academic achievement by (Losen & Martinez, 2020; Reardon et al., 2018). Black students receive out-of-school suspensions and expulsions at disproportionately higher rates, which is associated…