Inequality and Inexperience: The Effects of Early Career Teachers and Race on School Suspensions

• In Event: 18.054 - Factors That Affect School Attendance

Abstract

Substantial evidence demonstrates the unequal use of exclusionary disciplinary practices in U.S. schools (Nowicki, et al., 2018).   The present study examined the role of teacher experience on school suspension rates. Using three waves of publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection, we used a fixed-effects regression design to explore whether schools with higher teacher turnover were more likely to use exclusionary disciplinary practices. Results confirmed that schools with higher numbers of first and second year teachers were more likely to have higher suspension rates.  Implications include policies to require schools to report teacher turnover percentage as well as administrative practices that support early career teacher development with proven approaches to classroom engagement.

Authors

• Allison J. Hart-Young, Western Michigan University

• Christine Moser, Western Michigan University