Crime and Punishment: Examining School Discipline Policies and Patterns of Disproportionality

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: Longitudinal Studies Poster Session

Abstract

Gender, race, and disability are all factors commonly associated with out-of-school suspension. In order to combat suspension risk, many schools are turning to school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) to reduce exclusionary discipline. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of PBIS on disparities in discipline between students of different demographic categories, and to examine whether PBIS helped reduce suspension risk over time. The sample consisted of data from 2010-2016 for approximately 56,000 students in 41 schools in an urban California school district. This study examined students’ temporal patterns of suspension risk using a multilevel model. Results affirm the importance of a combination of practices that seek to change school culture with regard to discipline.

Authors

• Rebecca Cruz, University of California - Berkeley

• Janelle Lawson, San Francisco State University