Examining Behavioral and Academic Achievement of Students in Elementary Schools Participating in LGBTQ+-Inclusive Professional Development

• In Event: Teachers as Leaders in School Improvement

Abstract

LGBTQ+ students disproportionately experience poorer school climates and exclusionary discipline compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. LGBTQ+ students’ sense of school connectedness and teacher support influences their socio-emotional wellbeing, and inclusivity professional development (IPD) aims to better prepare educators to build these relationships. This longitudinal study evaluates the implementation of an IPD program in a large, Midwestern school district. After conducting t-tests, we found schools committing to the IPD program tended to be less diverse and better resourced. We also found schools participating in IPD have marginally higher overall accountability scores and significantly lower suspension rates compared to Non-IPD schools, even after controlling for district characteristics in our multivariate OLS regression analysis.

Authors

• Mollie McQuillan, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Erin Gill, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Xue Gong, University of Wisconsin - Madison