A Longitudinal Geographic Information System Analysis of Growing Hispanic Racial Disparities in School Discipline, Academic Achievement, and Incarceration

• In Event: Students and Schools: Race, Class, and Gender Issues

Abstract

This study illustratively captures disproportionate discipline trends overtime for Hispanic males in a way that enables a more practical understanding of the resulting academic and social impact of racial disparities in school discipline. Using longitudinal school-level discipline data from 2000-2011 from five urban North Carolina school districts, the authors use Geographic Information System (GIS) to display and assess distribution patterns found between reported suspensions, student achievement, and prison entries. Findings reveal strong spatial correlations between suspensions, low passing percentages on high-stakes tests, crime and incarceration among Hispanics. Additionally, GIS maps provide further evidence of links between schools and prisons by illustrating parallel disproportional patterns in suspension reports and incarceration rates. The authors recommend establishing a GIS-based student discipline monitoring system.

Authors

• Bettie Ray Butler, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Laurie A. Garo, University of North Carolina - Charlotte