Stakeholders' Perceptions Regarding Zero Tolerance and Disproportionate Exclusions of African American Male Students

• In Event: 29.090 - Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: 29.090-15 - Critical Educators in Multiple Critical Spaces

Abstract

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to understand perceptions of key stakeholders regarding disproportionate exclusions of African American males under zero tolerance policies. Stakeholders included administrators, teachers, students, and parents/caregivers in a southeastern urban high school. The study employed a CRT theoretical orientation. Four themes emerged from microlevel and macrolevel analyses of the data: (a) understanding zero tolerance, (b) impact of zero tolerance, (c) exclusions, and (d) policies and rules. While stakeholders agreed that zero tolerance is necessary for various reasons, they differed on the effectiveness of zero tolerance and the disproportionality of suspensions and expulsions of African-American male students. In addition, interest convergence emerged as a key CRT tenet in explaining common ground among the stakeholders.

Authors

• Ceola Ross Baber, North Carolina A&T State University

• Bertha Kornegay Dixon, North Carolina A&T State University