Equal Time for Equal Crime? Racial Bias in School Discipline

Abstract

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Suspended from Work and School? Impacts of Layoff Events and Unemployment Insurance on Student Disciplinary Incidence

“…Finally, we provide new evidence on the determinants of school disciplinary practices and, in particular, racial disparities in suspension and expulsion rates. Prior research shows that Black students are suspended and expelled from U.S. schools at substantially higher rates than White students, even when they are involved in the same incidents (Barrett et al, 2019;Shi and Zhu, 2021;Liu et al, 2021). We find that these racial gaps in suspensions are exacerbated by local labor market shocks, especially in majority-White schools, but can be lessened by generous UI policies.…”

Local Implementation of State-Level Discipline Policy: Administrator Perspectives and Contextual Factors Associated With Compliance

“…Black students in particular are at higher risk of being suspended (e.g., Anderson & Ritter, 2017; Losen et al, 2015; Skiba et al, 2011; Skiba et al, 2014; Skiba et al, 2002; Sullivan et al, 2013; Vincent et al, 2012). The racial gaps in student discipline are not simply due to differences in rates of misbehavior, as Black students tend to receive more exclusionary consequences, controlling for the type of infraction (Anderson & Ritter, 2017; Ritter & Anderson, 2018), and even when comparing outcomes for students involved in the same incident, such as a fight between students from different racial or ethnic backgrounds (Barrett et al, 2019; Liu et al, 2021; Shi & Zhu, 2021). One reason that Black students are disproportionately suspended is that they attend more punitive, exclusionary schools (Anderson & Ritter, 2017; Christie et al, 2004; Gopalan & Nelson, 2019; Payne & Welch, 2010; Sheldon & Epstein, 2002; Skiba et al, 2014; Welch & Payne, 2010).…”

“…In recent years, many school districts and states have sought to reduce exclusionary discipline such as out-of-school suspension (OSS) and expulsion due to growing awareness of the academic and life consequences of excluding students from school (e.g., Anderson, Ritter, & Zamarro, 2019; Bacher-Hicks et al, 2019; Chu & Ready, 2018; Davison et al, 2021; Fabelo et al, 2011; Nicholson-Crotty et al, 2009; Wolf & Kupchik, 2017), as well as concern about disproportionalities in exclusionary discipline by race and disability status (e.g., Anderson, 2021; Anderson & Ritter, 2017; Liu et al, 2021; Losen et al, 2015; Shi & Zhu, 2021; Skiba et al, 2011; Skiba et al, 2014; Sullivan et al, 2013; Vincent et al, 2012).…”