INEQUITIES IN THE NUMBER OF DAYS ASSIGNED TO AN EXCLUSIONARY DISCIPLINE CONSEQUENCE AS A FUNCTION OF ETHNICITY/RACE AND ECONOMIC STATUS OF TEXAS MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS: A MULTIYEAR, STATEWIDE INVESTIGATION

Purpose

The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to ascertain the extent to which differences were present in the number of days students were assigned to an exclusionary discipline consequence as a function of their ethnicity/race and economic status. In the first investigation, the degree to which the number of days differed by consequence (i.e., in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension) based on the ethnicity/race (i.e., Black, Hispanic, and White) of boys was examined. In the second investigation, the degree to which the number of days differed for girls based on their ethnicity/race was addressed. In the third investigation, the degree to which differences existed in the number of days students were assigned to an exclusionary discipline consequence based on their economic status (i.e., Poor, Not Poor) was examined. As such, the relationship between the number of days students were assigned to an exclusionary discipline consequence and their demographic characteristics was analyzed. By conducting these analyses, inequities in disciplinary days for students based on their ethnicity/race and economic status were determined.

Method

In this analysis, a causal-comparative research design was used. Archival data were obtained from the Texas Education Agency through a Public Information Request for the 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and the 2015-2016 school years.

Findings

Across all four school years, statistically significant differences were revealed in the number of days Grade 6, 7, and 8 students were assigned to an in-school suspension or to an out-of-school suspension as a function of their ethnicity/race and economic status. Black boys were assigned statistically significant more days to the two consequences than White and Hispanic boys in all three grade levels. Hispanic boys were also assigned to statistically significantly more days to the two disciplinary consequences than were White boys in all three grade levels. Similar results were present for girls. With respect to economic status, students in all three grade levels who were Poor were assigned statistically significant more days to the two consequences than their peers who were Not Poor. Results were congruent with the extant literature regarding the presence of statistically significant relationships between student demographic characteristics and exclusionary discipline assignments.