Poster #46 - Words that Exclude: Spatial Patterns in Missouri Discipline Policies

• In Event: Saturday Poster Luncheon

Abstract

District policies play a critical role in defining the school climate and culture both academically and behaviorally (Greene et al., 2021). These policies formalize the exclusionary discipline practices such as out-of-school suspensions (OSS) and other consequences, consequently shaping the provision of equity-minded practices for students’ experiences, especially from minoritized backgrounds (Lewis & Diamond, 2015; Welch & Payne, 2012). Although exclusionary practices vary across spatial contexts (Cruz et al., 2025; Taylor et al., 2026), existing research offers limited insight into how variations in policy language relate to the discipline gaps across these contexts. This raises important questions about how policy structures contribute to persistent disproportionalities, particularly for racialized and minoritized student populations across different locales. 

Thus, this study examines discipline-related policy documents from over 20 targeted school districts in Missouri, identified on two dimensions: spatial context (urban, suburban, town, & rural) and districts with higher proportions of exclusionary incidents. We hypothesized that the content and emphasis within policy documents shapes the proportionality of disciplinary outcomes and that these emphases differ across spatial contexts. To investigate this, we developed a content analysis framework grounded in existing literature on discipline policy, equity-centered leadership, and culturally responsive school practices. Key areas of analysis included the district’s stated equity vision, clarity and transparency of behavioral expectations and corresponding consequences, and the extent of family and community engagement embedded within policy language.

Preliminary findings reveal meaningful variation across spatial contexts. Urban and suburban districts more frequently articulate explicit commitments to equity, diversity, and student empowerment. In contrast, some rural districts normalize practices such as corporal punishment or emphasize stricter control over technology-related behaviors. These differences suggest that policy language may reinforce or mitigate inequitable disciplinary patterns depending on local norms and priorities. Overall, language across all handbooks was compliance-driven rather than student-centered, with limited attention to restorative or alternate pathways to replace punitive procedures. 

By the time of the conference, we expect to present additional results exploring how these policy variations relate to actual disciplinary outcomes. This study contributes to ongoing conversations about the impact of state and district policy variation on equitable access and opportunities (Green et al., 2021). By illuminating how policy language shapes disciplinary environments in schools, we aim to offer evidenced-based implications for developing equitable, transparent, and student-centered approaches to school discipline, fitting well within APPAM’s theme of Fifty States, Fifty Systems: State Policy Variations and Impacts.

Authors

• Anwesha Guha, Washington University in St. Louis
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Pallavi Chhabra, Washington University in St. Louis
  Presenting Author