Creating a Blueprint for Eliminating Suspensions, Expulsions, and Exclusions in Early Education in North Carolina

• In Event: Anti-Racism in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

In North Carolina and across the country, many young children experience harsh discipline practices associated with an abundance of poor outcomes (Iruka, 2019; Zinsser et al., 2022). It has been shown that the three best predictors of ECE suspension and expulsion are being “big, Black, and a boy” (Gilliam et al., 2016). Data showed that early care and education practitioners are more likely to recommend preschool suspension or expulsion when the child is Black, a boy, and is physically bigger than their peers. Black boys have a higher likelihood of being suspended or expelled up to 3-5 times more than their White counterparts overall (Iruka et al., 2021). Black children are less likely to be identified as needing early intervention services, which plays a significant role in the high suspension and expulsion rates in ECE as well. With that in mind, the ECE field must implement innovative and strengths-based approaches aimed at dismantling the systemic racism deeply rooted in early care and educational systems and practices (Iruka, 2019; Lloyd et al., 2021).

This paper unearths the vital role of partnerships in addressing suspensions, expulsions, and exclusionary practices in ECE settings. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, in collaboration with North Carolina A&T State University and other members of the Leadership Team, solicited a Request for Proposals (RFP) from organizations to develop Promising Models to address the inequities in ECE suspensions, expulsions, and exclusionary practices in North Carolina, particularly among Black children. The North Carolina Coalition for Inclusion, Not Expulsions (the Coalition) is a collaborative group of dedicated partners serving in an advisory council capacity for the project and committed to eliminating racial inequities in suspensions, expulsions, and exclusions in early care and education settings. The authors of this paper serve as the Leadership Team for the Coalition and are instrumental in member selections, which are by invitation only. The Coalition includes a racially diverse group of researchers, care providers, educators, administrators, families, and advocates with distinct expertise in and experiences across the early childhood field. Many members of the Coalition have lived experiences with suspensions, expulsions, and exclusions in early care and education settings as it relates to their own families. They bring both a professional and personal lens to this movement.

We utilize a Critical Race Theory perspective to select, support, and guide the implementation of the Promising Models. Centralizing many of the Critical Race Theory tenets in our work (Stefancic & Delgado, 2010) (e.g. race and racism, intersectionality, voices of color, critique of colorblind ideologies), we developed this project with these tenets at the forefront by taking an antiracist stance to advance significant transformation concerning early care and education suspensions, expulsions, and exclusion practices of Black children in North Carolina. We identified and are supporting Promising Models that incorporate antiracist changes in policies, design of programs, and/or changes in practices aimed at mitigating the conditions that lead to suspensions, expulsions, and exclusions in early care and education in North Carolina.

Authors

• Sherrell Hicklen House, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Valerie Jarvis McMillan, North Carolina A&T State University

• Nina Smith, North Carolina Central University

• Jennifer Mendoza Beasley, North Carolina A&T State University

• Megan Vinh, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Brenda K. Williamson, State of North Carolina