Educator Perceptions of School Discipline Practices and Racial Disproportionality: A Multiple-Case Study

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Possibilities for Equitable Space: Understanding Race and Culture in the Measurement and Design of Educational Policy and Practice

Abstract

Research has shown that misalignment between the ostensive (intended) and performative (implemented) aspects of school discipline programs can exacerbate racial gaps in exclusionary discipline (Lewis & Diamond, 2015). In the present multiple case study, researchers interviewed 51 educators and students in three schools across urban, rural, and suburban environments about how they experienced school discipline and how their perceptions of disproportionality were mediated by their school and community contexts. Findings indicated how inconsistent understanding and communication between administration and faculty seemed to contribute to racially disparate outcomes in case study schools, with educators’ perceptions of disproportionality being informed by the availability of data and demographic makeup of the student body. Implications for disciplinary policy and practice are discussed.

Authors

• David Bryant Naff, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Adai A. Tefera, The University of Arizona

• Ashlee Lester Sjogren, University of Virginia