Black Girls, Discipline Policies, and Student Handbooks: Identifying Opportunities to Disrupt Disproportionality

• In Event: Policy Influences on School Discipline Disparities

Abstract

Most literature examining discipline disproportionality identify individual implicit bias as the driving factor and almost exclusively discusses Black boys’ experiences related to this issue. When Black girls are included, they are often grouped into a “Black” group or “girls” group. Using the most recent data available from the Civil Rights Data Collection database and examining content from 151 student handbooks, this study employed several methods to explore discipline disproportionality among Black girls with and without disabilities. Ultimately, these findings quantify and legitimize the nuanced inequitable experiences of Black girls at school and in broader society. Systems-level interventions to promote social justice in discipline practices is imperative in minimizing disproportionate exclusionary discipline among Black girls.

Authors

• Deidra L. Bibbs, Rush University

• Emma Grubbs, Ball State University

• Kellie Cooper, Ball State University

• Tarah Stockwell, Ball State University

• Janay Sander, Ball State University