Zero-tolerance discipline: the effect of teacher discretionary removal on urban minority students

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Date

2002

Authors

Clark, Florence Linelle

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Abstract

The principal theoretical proposition from which this work begins is that schools are a place of cultural reproduction and that school discipline policies are racialized resulting in a negative consequence for African American and Hispanic children. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of teacher discretionary removal on urban minority students. This research examined the impact for African American and Hispanic elementary students when a state expands its zero tolerance discipline policy to allow for the discretionary removal of students from the traditional learning environment. The research questions were: (1) What are the trends in student suspension rate subsequent to the 1996 adoption of a discretionary discipline removal policy, and the general socio-demographic characteristics of students who are subjected to a discretionary removal? (2) Are the achievement test scores, Texas Academic Achievement (TAAS) / Texas Learning Index (TLI) reading and math scores, of student’s subjected to a discretionary removal significantly different from the test scores of comparable peer students not subjected to a discretionary removal? (3) Is there a relationship between discretionary referral reason and ethnicity? The methodology used for this study was a quasi-experimental approach. The district selected for this study was a large urban Texas school district. Data used for this study was obtained from records maintained by the school district’s alternative education facility for students suspended because of a discretionary removal. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine relationships between variables and the application of discretionary removal and suspension. The results of the investigation clearly indicated African American and Hispanic students were subjected to discretionary removals at higher rates than non-minorities. The findings determined numerous trends in discretionary removal based on student ethnicity, gender, special education identification, and socioeconomic status. The study also determined a negative relationship between discretionary removal and academic achievement growth. On average, students subjected to a discretionary removal had lower achievement test scores in comparison to peers not subjected to a discipline removal.

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