The Effectiveness of School-Based Approaches in Reducing Reliance on Exclusionary Discipline: Implications for Minoritized Students

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Six
  In Roundtable Session: Racialized Contexts of Urban Schooling: Discipline, Disparities, and Data (Table 13)

Abstract

Minoritized students are overwhelmingly recipients of exclusionary discipline (e.g., office discipline referrals, suspension). Persistent negative outcomes (e.g., dropout, incarceration) are often associated with these practices, highlighting them as potential mechanisms by which racial/ethnic inequalities persist. Thus, to inform prevention/intervention efforts in schools, we conducted a systematic review of the literature to examine the effectiveness of alternative discipline approaches in (a) reducing exclusionary discipline rates and (b) improving student outcomes (e.g., behavior, academics). We identified six school-based approaches (e.g., restorative justice, positive behavioral supports) found to be effective at reducing exclusionary discipline and cultivating student outcomes. Yet, due to methodological weaknesses across studies, limited insight persists into the extent to which these approaches reduce disproportionate exclusionary discipline rates among minoritized students.

Authors

• Michelle Cumming, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Elizabeth Cramer, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Chauntea S. Cummings, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Patricia S. Gann, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Aniva N. Lumpkins, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Arianna C. Barroso, Florida International University
  Presenting Author