Parsing Disciplinary Disproportionality: Contributions of Behavior, Student, and School Characteristics to Suspension and Expulsion

• In Event: Understanding School Improvement in Chaotic Conditions

Abstract

It has been widely documented that the characteristics of behavior, students, and schools make a contribution to school discipline outcomes. The likelihood of suspension and expulsion increases in proportion to the perceived seriousness of a incident, as well as for males, Black students, and students of low socioeconomic status. A number of school characteristics including teacher and principal attitudes and school organizational and resource factors influence the probability of discipline. The purpose of this study is to report on a multilevel examination of variables at these three levels to identify the relative contributions to school exclusion and racial disparities in school exclusion. The results note the key importance of school level variables in predicting racial disparities in school discipline.

Authors

• Russell J. Skiba, Indiana University

• Megan Trachok, Indiana University

• Timberly Louise Baker, Indiana University

• Choong Chung, Indiana University