Can Prior Misconduct and Attitudes Explain Disproportionalities in Out-of-School Suspensions?

• In Event: Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Examining School Policies Through the Lens of Underrepresented Student Populations

Abstract

Black students are much more likely to receive an out-of-school suspension (OSS) as a disciplinary sanction compared to White students. A relatively untested hypothesis is based on a theory of disproportional behavior where, on average, Black students exhibit higher levels of disruptive behaviors. Using a national longitudinal dataset, we used school fixed effects logistic regression models to predict the likelihood of a student receiving an OSS in the 10th grade while controlling for delinquent behaviors, attitudes, and sociodemographic variables. Findings showed that misconduct and delinquent attitudes are strong predictors of receiving an OSS although results showed that Black students were no more likely to misbehave compared to White students.

Author

• Francis Howard Lim Huang, University of Missouri