School Organizational Context, Teacher Characteristics, and School Discipline: Evidence From New York City

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Abstract

School discipline is a salient problem of practice and policy. Even with the abundant evidence that teachers and schools affect student educational experiences, there nevertheless remains a need to disentangle the relationship between teachers, school context, and school discipline patterns. In this study, we examine the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of school context, teachers’ characteristics, and school suspension patterns. Overall, results indicate more positive teachers’ perspectives on school context, higher years of teaching experience, and a greater share of teachers of color are independently associated with lower rates of suspensions, overall and especially for Black and Latinx students. The study concludes with a discussion of implications for the professional development and support of teachers as well as future research.

Authors

• Luis Alberto Rodriguez, New York University

• Richard O Welsh, New York University

• Chelsea Daniels