Comparison of the School-to-Prison Pipeline in Three Midwestern School Districts

• In Event: The School to Prison Pipeline

Abstract

The current study seeks to explore whether a potential school-to-prison pipeline exists utilizing data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office. Through a racial/ethnic threat theoretical lens, the study will examine the state’s 2017 – 2021 district report cards and Civil Rights data on schools in Springfield, Missouri to explore if any racial, ethnic, gender, and/or class differences exist in the use and type of disciplinary measures in each school and if any trends are visible. Comparisons between St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield will also be made.

Authors

• Angela Marie Collins, University of Central Missouri

• Maisha Cooper, University of North Carolina at Charlotte