The hallways of nearly every American public school are essentially the same, with lockers, fluorescent lights, and the quiet murmur of students attempting to identify themselves. However, a very different picture appears when you examine the disciplinary records more closely. The longer you sit with it, the more difficult it is to ignore.
Black students are punished more frequently, more severely, and at almost every stage of their education, according to a study by UC Berkeley’s Sean Darling-Hammond and statistician Eric Ho that was published in the American Educational Research Association Open. This is something that the education community has long debated. There is no ambiguity in the numbers. Black students were nearly three times more likely to be arrested on school property, 3.4 times more likely to be expelled, and 3.6 times more likely to be suspended from school than their white counterparts. In their own words, “No matter how you slice it, Black students are punished more.”
The locations of these differences are what make this so startling. It’s not limited to underfunded schools in underperforming districts. Black students were 5.3 times more likely to be suspended and 7.8 times more likely to be expelled than white students in schools where fewer than 25% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunches—places that are typically better funded, better staffed, and better regarded. It turns out that Black children are not shielded from prejudice in the classroom by the building’s wealth.
It also begins early. Early and painful. Black students were 2.8 times more likely to be suspended and 2.4 times more likely to be expelled in preschool, according to Darling-Hammond and Ho’s research. These kids are four years old. children who are not yet proficient readers. When you give it some serious thought, there’s a very uncomfortable feeling that sits in your chest.
An additional layer is added by research from the American Psychological Association. Researchers discovered that 26% of Black students in an urban Mid-Atlantic district received at least one suspension for a minor infraction, such as dress code violations or having a phone out, compared to just 2% of white students after analyzing three years of school records for nearly 2,400 students. Two years later, the grades of Black students who were suspended during the study’s first year were significantly lower. Their education was not the only thing that was disrupted by the suspension. It negatively impacted their perception of the school itself, making them feel less safe, connected, and like they belonged. Grades came next. “When students are disciplined, they behave worse,” Darling-Hammond stated. “It creates a climate where students are feeling less safe and less connected, which doesn’t benefit anyone.” He would understand. In addition, he is the father of two Black sons, and he said that going through this data was truly painful.
Nevertheless, this is something to cling to. Darling-Hammond made a conscious effort to conclude the study with answers rather than merely data. In districts that are willing to try them, restorative justice initiatives, culturally sensitive instruction, and stricter restrictions on when teachers can use suspension as a punishment for minor infractions are producing tangible results. Working with researchers to monitor academic results and discipline over time, one urban district discovered that moving away from punitive responses improved not only behavior but also grades, school climate scores, and students’ perceptions that adults in the building were genuinely on their side.
In 2018, the federal regulations that had previously encouraged schools to adopt more equitable disciplinary procedures were quietly revoked. It will take more than a policy memo to return to something approaching fairness. Schools must decide that the pattern is unacceptable in a straightforward and unambiguous manner. A few have already done so. Others’ willingness to follow is the question.
