Poster #37 - The Racialized Consequences of School Suspension for Absenteeism and Truancy

• In Event: Poster Session I (posters 1 - 79)

Abstract

Introduction: Absenteeism from school, especially chronic absenteeism (i.e., truancy), has well-documented negative consequences that accumulate into adulthood. Patterns of skipping school vary across racial/ethnic groups, yet the intervening mechanisms that underlie such differences remain understudied. For example, prior research has linked punitive school discipline experiences with increased academic disengagement and school avoidance; thus, it is plausible that racially disparate exposure to suspension from school might help explain heightened absenteeism and truancy among students of color. Design/Methods: This study uses data on a large statewide sample from the 2024 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey. The KHB method is used to estimate the indirect effects. Results: The findings reveal that nearly 20% of the Black-White gap in absenteeism, and 10% of the same disparity in truancy, are explained by suspension. Similar indirect effects do not emerge for other racial/ethnic comparisons. Discussion: Along with other factors, punitive discipline is an intervening influence in the differences between Black and White students in absenteeism and truancy. By extension, the short- and long-term effects of skipping school on youths’ academic trajectories are likewise connected to racial inequalities in exclusionary school sanctioning.

Authors

• Daniella Biagi, Sam Houston State University

• Peter S. Lehmann, Sam Houston State University