Schools that unfairly discipline students based on race widen the racial gap and could be in violation of the Civil Rights Act.

A small number of teachers can double the racial gap in disciplinary action


The Biden administration issued a letter to school leaders indicating that schools that unfairly discipline students based on race could be in violation of the Civil Rights Act

Key points:

  • The jump in racial gaps caused by top referrers is largely driven by referrals issued for more subjective reasons
  • Repeated disciplinary actions can hurt student engagement, achievement, and long-run success
  • See related article: Addressing the digital divide’s effects on education and the workforce

The top 5 percent of teachers most likely to refer students to the principal’s office for disciplinary action do so at such an outsized rate that they effectively double the racial gaps in such referrals, according to new research from the American Educational Research Association (AERA).

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