Subtraction by Addition? Investigating School Suspensions as Predictors of STAAR Mathematics Performance for African American and Latinx Third Through Eighth Graders: AERA Sessions, 12:12 PM

• In Event: e-Lightening Ed-Talk Session 12

Abstract

"As researchers aim to increase the number of marginalized students entering STEM fields, investigating specific school factors (such as school discipline) that impede students' academic performance in STEM content areas, particularly mathematics, becomes imperative. This study delves into the intricate relationship between school suspensions and academic performance in mathematics among African American and Latinx students in 3rd through 8th grades.
Utilizing data gathered from the Texas Education Agency spanning 2011 to 2018, the research aimed to uncover the extent to which school suspensions serve as predictive indicators for academic achievement within these demographic groups while exploring nuanced dynamics, including campus-level factors.
Through multilevel modeling (n = 1.5 million students), the findings showcase that, for certain groups and grade levels, even a single suspension correlates with a decrease in raw mathematics scores. For instance, just one suspension for a Black boy in 6th grade was associated with a lower mathematics score. Similarly, Black girls exhibited negative statistically significant associations between having a suspension and their 4th, 7th, and 8th grade mathematics scores. Latinx boys experienced lower mathematics scores when having a suspension on their record in the 7th and 8th grades, whereas Latinx girls saw negative significant associations in the 5th and 8th grade mathematics scores. Lastly, these findings also provide indications of how campus variables (such as urbanicity and teacher demographics) may impact the improvement or reduction of test scores for these groups."

Author

• John A. Williams, Texas A&M University