Disparate Use of Exclusionary Discipline: Evidence on Inequities in School Discipline from a U.S. State

Abstract

There is much discussion in the United States about exclusionary discipline (suspensions and expulsions) in schools. According to a 2014 report from the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, Black students represent 15% of students, but 44% of students suspended more than once, and 36% of expelled students. This analysis uses seven years of individual infraction-level data from public schools in Arkansas. We examine whether disproportionalities exist within schools, or are instead, a function of the type of school attended. We find that marginalized students are more likely to receive exclusionary discipline, even after controlling for the nature and number of disciplinary referrals, but that most of the differences occur across schools rather than within schools.

Keywords: School Discipline, Exclusionary Discipline, Disproportionalities, Race, Socioeconomic Status, School Climate