The Color of Discipline: Understanding and Addressing Racial Inequity in School Punishment Russ Skiba Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Indiana

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The Color of Discipline: Understanding and Addressing Racial Inequity in School Punishment

Russ SkibaCenter for Evaluation and Education PolicyIndiana University -- Bloomington

Presented at the Creating Effective School Environments Conference

Hartford, CT November 20, 2006

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CDF (1975): Black students suspended 2-3x as frequently

Disproportionality found in: Office referrals Suspension & Expulsion Corporal Punishment

Interaction with gender Latino disproportionality found

inconsistently

Is School Discipline Fair?: 30 Years of Study

Indiana K-12 Student Population by Race: 2004-2005

NativeAm

0% Black12%

AsianPacIsl1%

Hispanic5%

White

79%

Multiracial

3%

Indiana Out-of-School Suspension Distribution by Race: 2004-2005NativeAm

0%

Black

36%

White

55%

Multiracial3%

Hispanic6%

AsPacIsl

0%

Indiana Expulsion Distribution by Race: 2004-2005

NativeAm

0%

Black29%

AsPacIsl

0%

Hispanic

6%White

63%

Multiracial2%

Note: Derived from U.S. Department of Education, 2004 QuickTime™ and a


Disproportionality in School Discipline at the National Level: 1972, 2000, 2003

6

3.1

13.2

5.09

13.9

4.88

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Percent of Students Suspended

1972 2000 2003

AfricanAmerican

White

Relative Risk Ratios:1972: 1.942000: 2.592003: 2.84

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Discipline Rates by School Level

5.06

0.02

23.95

0.83

21.40

1.29

0

5

10

15

20

25

Incidents Per 100 Students

Elementary Middle High

OSS

EXP

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Out-of-School Suspension Incident Rate Comparison by Race and School Level

6.19

1.76

3.65

2.12

3.97

2.33

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Incident Rate Compared to White Students

Elementary Middle High

AfricanAmerican

Hispanic

Urban OSS Significantly higher; No statistical differences for EXP QuickTime™ and a


Discipline Rates by Locale

24.28

0.75

13.31

0.61

11.56

0.63

7.00

0.41

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Incidents Per 100 Students

Urban Suburban Town Rural

OSS

EXP

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Out-of-School Suspension Incident Rates by Race and Locale

6.6

39.21

28.15

38.89

52.39

19.19 19.03

13.909.97

10.38

10.0116.9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Urban Suburban Town Rural

Incident Rate per 100 Students

AfricanAmericanHispanic

White

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Alternative Explanations of Disciplinary Alternative Explanations of Disciplinary DisproportionalityDisproportionality

Disproportionality is related to SES SES and disproportionality correlate, but… Effects of race remain after control

Do black students misbehave more? No supporting evidence May in fact be treated more severely for same

offenses

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0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

% Enrolled % Referred % Suspended% Expelled

Disproportionality in Office Referrals, Suspension, and Expulsion

Black Students White Students

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What Behaviors are Students What Behaviors are Students Referred For? By RaceReferred For? By RaceWhat Behaviors are Students What Behaviors are Students Referred For? By RaceReferred For? By Race

White students referred more for:

Smoking

Vandalism

Leaving w/o permission

Obscene Language

Black students referred more for:

Disrespect

Excessive Noise

Threat

Loitering

Of 32 infractions, only 8 significant differences:Of 32 infractions, only 8 significant differences:

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What Might Be Causing Disciplinary Disproportionality? Doesn’t appear to be related to AA enrollment Perhaps correlated with overuse of suspension

and expulsion May originate at classroom level

No differences at office level (Skiba et al., 2002) “Violations of implicit interactional codes” (Vavrus &

Coles, 2002)

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Cultural Disparities? Teaching differences

Cultural misinterpretations Lower or different expectations Interactions of some teachers/some students

Influence of stereotypes How are African American boys perceived? Different standards of “boys will be boys” Differential standards for “respect”, “loitering”,

“threat”

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Outcomes of Exclusionary Discipline 30-50% of students suspended are repeat

offenders “Suspension functions as a reinforcer...rather than as a

punisher” (Tobin, Sugai & Colvin,1996)

Use of suspension correlates with School dropout (school level) (Raffaele-Mendez; Ekstrom,

1986) Juvenile incarceration (state level) (Skiba et al)

Negative relationship between discipline and achievement?

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Percent Passing ISTEP by School Disciplinary Use (Adjusted for Demographic and Economic Indicators)

58.35 57.51

49.91 48.59

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Percentage of Students Passing Both

Math and English Assessment

Low Usage High Usage

School Rate of Out-of-School Suspension and Expulsion

OSSEXP

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Are There Alternatives to School Exclusion?

Creating the Climate Bullying Prevention Conflict Resolution/Life Skills Classroom Management

Early Identification/Intervention Threat Assessment Mentoring, Anger Management

Effective Responses In-School Alternatives Functional Assessment Restorative Justice

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What Do Effective Principals Do? No compromise on discipline, but... Clarify expectations regarding office referrals and train

staff in classroom management strategies. Actively teach appropriate behavior through school

philosophy and preventive programs. Communicate and collaborate with parents. Seek to reconnect alienated students through

mentoring and anger management. Develop creative options in the school and community

to keep even those students who are suspended and expelled engaged in learning.

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What Do Effective Principals Do?

No compromise on discipline

“We will not put up with misbehavior. …You are here to learn and we’re going to do everything we can to provide the proper education. Your teachers are here to work with you. We’re doing everything we can to support you but then again we will not deal with any misbehaviors. That’s the bottom line. If you hit somebody you’re going to be suspended.”

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Clarify Expectations and Train in Behavior Management

“Once you send a child to the office as a classroom teacher you give up a part of your control over that child. It sends a message to the child that you know you really don’t have control...

So I think as a school we’ve come to realize that it’s a lot better to handle the discipline within the team [of teachers] if we can because that sends a message to the student that the team has control.”

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Teach Appropriate Skills through Preventive Programs

“There are 17 or so character values. Respect, cooperation, honesty, perseverance, caring, courage… our staff members have embraced it and you see it everywhere. You see it in the hallways. You see it on bulletin boards. You see it in the classrooms. The teachers take time to talk about those life skills… and then you begin also embedding this in your curriculum … what you end up having are kids who are very respectful to one another, that are willing to work cooperatively.”

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Communicate and Collaborate with Parents

“[Teachers] know that if they send someone to the office, we shouldn’t be the first one to contact the parents about the problems the kids is having.”

“I have very few parents who get upset with me because a lot of times we’ve done a lot of interventions … There’s no surprises. And I have to think the parents appreciate that through the entire process they’ve been part of it.”

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Communication & Connection: All Students

““Communication is really stressed, we’re increasing Communication is really stressed, we’re increasing email, they do newsletters, really chatting, we have email, they do newsletters, really chatting, we have input forms [from parents]. I think it’s part of the culture input forms [from parents]. I think it’s part of the culture of the building”of the building” ““Every time he [the principal] has the student body Every time he [the principal] has the student body together he reminds them that if there is anything out together he reminds them that if there is anything out there that’s lingering that’s dangerous to make sure there that’s lingering that’s dangerous to make sure that you bring it forward. He is just continually that you bring it forward. He is just continually impressing upon the kids how important impressing upon the kids how important communication is.”communication is.”

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Communication & Connection: At Risk or Alienated Students

“We look to intervene early if we see some things that are developing. We worked really hard helping teachers identify internalizers as well as externalizers…This isn’t a way of identifying a student. Its more like trying to predict the problem and prevent it. ” “And all we asked was that an adult would meet with these kids once a week…I would have lunch with this child and we would play chess and we would talk and he would share things that were going on in his life…We saw that were making progress with these kids because really a lot of these kids didn’t have anyone who really took an interest in them.”

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Creative Options for Challenging Students: At School

““One comes in from 6 to 2 and the other from 10 to 6 and then in One comes in from 6 to 2 and the other from 10 to 6 and then in that cross between it gives them some time to also meet with the that cross between it gives them some time to also meet with the student if necessary, go to a class with the student they’re having student if necessary, go to a class with the student they’re having particular trouble in... These students also have two counseling particular trouble in... These students also have two counseling components a week from local counseling providers that we have components a week from local counseling providers that we have here in our community and this is done on their own. …The here in our community and this is done on their own. …The program has been very successful. Our suspension rate the first program has been very successful. Our suspension rate the first year we implemented it dropped 50%.”year we implemented it dropped 50%.”

““We absolutely do not believe in zero tolerance policies… If we’re We absolutely do not believe in zero tolerance policies… If we’re going to expel a student probably 90% of the time we will expel going to expel a student probably 90% of the time we will expel them technically but we allow them back in school to return to them technically but we allow them back in school to return to school on what’s called a continuing education agreement….”school on what’s called a continuing education agreement….”

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Creative Options for Challenging Students: In the Community Boys & Girls Club, Wayne County

Schools fax work for suspended students Conflict Resolution, speaker programs

Hamilton Centers Collaboration with courts, DFC 97% completion rate for students in program

Allen County Youth Services Program SOCAP: Case Facilitator assigned Students Out of School (SOS): Students have

performed over 5000 hours of community service

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Doing Discipline Differently: The Greenfield Middle School Story

41.55

23.84

1.31 0.88

05

1015202530354045

Average Incident Rate Per 100

Students

Out-of-SchoolSuspension

Expulsion

Disciplinary Category

Figure 1. Out-of-School Suspension and Expulsion Rates at Greenfield Middle School: 4-Year Average Comparisons

1996 to 1999 2000 to 2003

Figure 3. Greenfield Middle School Percent Passing ISTEP Compared to State Median for Indiana Middle Schools:

4-Year Comparison

49.16

65.61

60.33

57.0055.0257.28

52.58

58.26

45

50

55

60

65

70

2000 2001 2002 2003

School Year

Percent

Greenfield Middle School Average State Median

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APA Task Force Recommendations: Reducing Suspension/Expulsion

Implement a Graduated Set of Consequences

Teach alternative ways of getting along

Improve communication and connection w/ students, parents

Increasing available options

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APA Recommendations:Reducing Disciplinary Disproportionality

Teacher Training in Classroom Behavior Management

Reducing Cultural Mismatch Avoid One-Size-Fits-All Discipline Use Data to Transform

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Studying Equity at Home: Local Equity Action Development (LEAD) School/District Reflection

Data Mining Discussions on Diversity

Identify Actions of Greatest Potential Impact Develop a Plan Implement, Assess, Adapt

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The Difficulty of Talking About Race

“When you say minorities, are you, what are you speaking of?...[INTERVIEWER: Ethnic and racial minorities]...Oh....OK...Alright...We have like...I guess we have about half and half. I don’t know that I’ve ever really paid attention to it .”

--Classroom Teacher

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Process Steps in Addressing Inequity

Look at the data on disparities How great are the disparities? In what infractions? In what consequences? Which schools have largest discrepancy? No blame, but it is a problem and its ours

Develop hypotheses Must represent all groups and perspectives

What’s Your Theory?

• Poverty?

• Deficits in classroom management?

• Negative community influences?

• Lack of cultural competence?

• Negative peer culture?

• Historical discrimination?

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Perspectives on Katrina: Washington Post/ABC News Poll, 9/13/05

Perspectives on Katrina: Washington Post/ABC News Poll, 9/13/05

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Process Steps in Addressing Inequity Look at the data on disparities

How great are the disparities? In what infractions? In what consequences? Which schools have largest discrepancy?


Implement culturally competent intervention

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Discipline Rates

28.35

40.47

20.25

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Incident Rate Per 100 Students

Overall Rate Disaggregated Rate

BLACKWHITEOVERALL



Discipline Rates

18.35

40.47

20.25

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45



BLACKWHITEOVERALL



Discipline Rates Disaggregated

18.35

40.47

10.13

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45



BLACKWHITEOVERALL

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Process Steps in Addressing Inequity Look at the data on disparities

How great are the disparities? In what infractions? In what consequences? Which schools have largest discrepancy?


Implement culturally competent intervention Evaluate impact on racial/ethnic disparities



Discipline Rates

28.35

40.47

20.25

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45



BLACKWHITEOVERALL



Discipline Rates

18.35

40.47

10.13

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45



BLACKWHITEOVERALL



Discipline Rates: Equity

18.35 18.35 18.35

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45



BLACKWHITEOVERALL

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When Did Segregation End?

Brown v. Board of Education “with all deliberate speed...”

Alexander v. Holmes County Bd. of Ed. “There is no reason why such a wholesale

deprivation of constitutional rights should be tolerated another minute.”

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Some Relative Lengths...

State sponsored discrimination: 351 years Since its end: 37 years



The Meanings of Equity

“No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if a Clod be washed away by the Sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for

thee.”--John Donne, Meditation XVII from

“Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions” (1623)

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Websites: Equity Project at Indiana University

ceep.indiana.edu/equity Children Left Behind

ceep.indiana.edu/ChildrenLeftBehind Safe and Responsive Schools

www.indiana.edu/~safeschl www.unl.edu/srs

APA Zero Tolerance Report http://www.apa.org/ed/cpse/zttfreport.pdf

Documents

The Color of Discipline: Understanding and Addressing Racial Inequity in School Punishment Russ Skiba Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Indiana