School Discipline Gap: Multicultural Training Workshop Samantha Arzon Anne Ruoff Erin Haley Archana Sabesan Katherine Henderson Amy Schreiber Pamela Postage Yejin Song Introduce workshop & ourselves Before we begin, we have a brief survey for you to fill out. Play video at same time???

Workshop Agenda Opening remarks Introduce the topic Statistics Activity: Guided Journey Interventions Closing statements

Rationale Several research studies have been conducted to analyze the nationwide school discipline gap and the implications of this growing problem. Important to address it now, as a way to help raise awareness and initiate open discussions Why does it matter? There is little research support for the belief that suspensions prevent future misbehavior There is a strong link between suspensions & negative outcomes, such as dropping out & heightened risks to students’ mental and physical well-being. - “Research offers little support for the theory that suspensions deter future misbehavior” (Losen, 2011, p. 14) - “Overall, links between suspensions and negative outcomes—such as dropping out and heightened risks to students’ mental and physical well-being—raise serious questions about the justification for suspending children, especially for relatively minor violations.” (Losen, 2011, p. 15) - Raise serious questions about the justification for suspending children, especially for relatively minor violations

The Facts Black students are from 3 to 7 times more likely than White students to be suspended. Skiba et al. (2002) found that Black students were more likely to be referred to the office for subjective offenses (e.g., disrespect, threat, excessive noise), whereas White youth were more likely to be referred for objective behavior problems (e.g., smoking, vandalism). During the 2000 school year, black students comprised 17% of the U.S. student population but accounted for 34% of out of school suspensions. Across North Carolina, black 6th grade students are 79% more likely to be suspended for violating school rules than white 6th grade students who violate school rules. In a study conducted by Cornell and Shirley (2011), African-American students made up 20.2% of the school’s student population, yet 60.3% of African-American students were referred for discipline as compared to 27% of Caucasian students who made up 60.5% of the student population. - Black students are from 3 to 7 times more likely than White students to be suspended (Bradshaw, p. 509) - During the 2000 school year, black students comprised 17% of the U.S. student population but accounted for 34% of out of school suspensions (Kinsler, p. 1370). - Across North Carolina, black 6th grade students are 79% more likely to be suspended for violating school rules than white 6th grade students who violate school rules (Kinsler p. 1371).

Racial Impact of the Rising Use of Suspension Source: Lozen, 2011 The data shows substantial increases for students of all races, with a growing racial discipline gap. K-12 suspension rates have more than dobuled since the early 70s for all non-whites. In that time, the black/white gap more than tripled, rising from a difference of 3 percentage points in the 70s to over 10 percentage points in 2006 (when more than 1 in every 7 black students enrolled was suspended at least once. (Lozen, 8-9). Source: Lozen, 2011

North Carolina Black/White Suspension Rates Source: Lozen, 2011 A review of racial and gender differences in school punishments found that white students were sent to the office more often for objective, documentable offenses, such as smoking, using inappropriate language, and vandalism.  However, African-American students were referred for behaviors that involve subjective judgment from the educator.  Examples include disrespectful behavior, loitering, or excessive noise.  “For those offenses that require a judgment call by teachers, administrators and others, Black students are disproportionately called out.  This suggests two possibilities: perhaps Black students focus their misbehavior on those types of activities that call for a subjective judgment of such misbehavior, or perhaps Black students are being unfairly singled out when it comes to prosecuting such misbehavior” (Losen, 2011, p. 11) Source: Lozen, 2011

Potential Causes Cultural Differences: Common examples of African-influenced norms include animation while talking, overlapping speech, and physical interaction. White students tend to value impulse control. Due to different norms and values, cross-cultural interactions in schools may lead to culturally based misunderstandings, which often results in disciplinary action for African-American students. Lack of Support: In a study conducted by Cornell & Shirley (2011), students self-reported that if they felt unsupported by teachers and classmates, they were more likely to engage in misbehavior. Situational factors: Various factors, including legal issues, socioeconomic status, and family structure, are commonly linked to aggressive attitudes and behavior. The high prevalence of these situational factors often results in misbehavior in school. Based on the high volume of discipline referrals for African-American males, one would think that they are more misbehaved. However, Monroe (2006) argues, “No compelling research studies support the claim that African-American boys are more disruptive than their peers” (p. 104). There are several potential reasons for what is perceived to be a higher level of “misbehavior” amongst African-American students: Cultural Differences: An example of this occurred in a study cited by Monroe (2006): “A Texas elementary school indicated that Black children engaged in play fighting and ritualized insults for amusement or self-defense, whereas teachers in the study perceived the children’s actions as authentic aggression” (p. 105). This misinterpretation of behaviors and the consequences that come about as a result of it can have an enormous detrimental effect on black students.