Racial Disparities in School Suspensions: The Protective Roles of Parents and Teachers

• In Event: The Role of Caregivers in Fostering Student Learning and Development

Abstract

This study utilized a large sample (N = 3,115; 48% female; 40% Latina/o, 31% Black, and 29% White) of students attending urban public middle schools in the Midwest that varied in racial diversity to explore how parents, teachers, and school structural factors in sixth grade had varying effects on the probability of suspension in eighth grade. Results from a hierarchical ordinal logistic model indicated that the perception of parental monitoring was a protective factor against suspension. However, lower SES and higher percentages of Whites in schools were positively associated with the probability of suspension in eighth grade. Moreover, Blacks attending schools with a higher percentage of Whites were less likely to be suspended when they perceived more respect from teachers.

Authors

• Hye-Young Yun, University of California - Los Angeles

• Sabina Low, Arizona State University