The Impact of Tracking and Discipline on the College-Going Engagement of Students of Color

• In Event: 58.060 - The Lingering Persistence of Discipline

Abstract

This mixed-method study investigates the impact that the junction of academic tracking and school discipline has on the college-going engagement of urban high school Students of Color (SoC). For the purpose of this work, college-going engagement is defined as students’ knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes that facilitate enrollment into the postsecondary institution of their choice. Guided by Guinier and Torres’ Political Race Theory (2009), this analysis provides new empirical evidence that corroborates previous findings on the negative effects of tracking and discipline. Additionally, it extends this research by revealing the significant extent to which tracking and discipline policies and practices are tied and the detrimental impact that they have on urban SoC.

Authors

• Shena Sanchez, University of California - Los Angeles

• Robert Cooper, University of California - Los Angeles