Discipline in Early Childhood: Perspectives on Suspension and Expulsion

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Research and Practice in Catholic Education

Abstract

Despite the crucial role of early childhood programs in Catholic schools, there is a paucity of research dedicated to this sector of Catholic education. Through this study, we highlight that Catholic early childhood programs face many of the same challenges as the broader early childhood field, such as preschool students experiencing suspensions and expulsions at alarming rates (Gilliam, 2005; Zeng et al., 2019). A critical analysis of the use of exclusionary disciplinary procedures points to the need for a shift towards ending these harmful practices and to instead promote culturally responsive practices that nurture the social emotional competencies of all children.

Authors

• Courtney O'Grady, University of Alabama

• Michaelene Ostrosky, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign