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The focus of this quantitative study was on suspension rates, race, and gender.Current literature focused on implicit bias, socioeconomic status, zero tolerance, race andgender bias as causes for discipline disproportionality; however, this study examined ifdifferences in suspension rates existed, not the root causes. National data suggests Blackstudents are suspended more frequently than White and Hispanic students for the sameinfractions. A 2015 report compiled from 2011-2012 suspension data showed thatMissouri had the highest rate of suspension for Black elementary school students in thecountry. There were four public school districts with significantly high suspension ratesfor Black students – national research focused on one metropolitan area as three “highsuspending” districts were located there. This study used the 2011-2012 archivalsuspension data to examine if suspension rates differed between White, Black, andHispanic elementary school students in five suburban school districts near the one cityarea not readily discussed in the research literature. The sample was 78 elementaryschools within those five districts as all districts saw increases in the Black and Hispanicstudent populations over the past two decades. Three research questions were developedto find if differences in suspension rates existed between the racial groups chosen forstudy, then gendered groups. The hypothesis testing yielded the following results: Blackstudents had a higher rate of suspension than White and Hispanic students, White andHispanic students had similar suspension rates, the sample of Black male students weresuspended at a higher rate than White male students, and White, Black, and Hispanicfemale students did not have significantly different rates of suspension. These resultscould aid educators in evaluating current discipline practices for purpose and equity. |
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