The issue of disciplinary actions being disproportionate to students of colour has become a matter of concern in recent times. National data have borne out what has been clear for a long—that students of colour, and particularly Black students, are suspended, expelled, or referred for minor infractions at much higher rates than their white peers. This has gone against the primary goal of having a just and equitable learning environment for all students. These disparities can have effects on students’ academic achievement, their mental health, and their overall well-being. This essay provides a discussion of the recent news article on this issue, social justice implications, and an outline of solutions on how to foster equity and the inclusion of all children based on school psychology principles.
The Event
Social media and news comment sections were set off on February 16, 2024, after Portland Public Schools (PPS) announced a new student discipline policy. The policy calls on educators to consider the student’s race, trauma, and gender identity when designing plans of support (Watrobski, 2024). The approach has faced criticism for essentially making race a main criterion in discipline, opening the door for debate over fairness and even potential unintended consequences ( Watrobski, 2024). Critics of such a policy will argue that it leads to reverse bias, while defenders who will be losing the ballot will say that the long history of racial bias in school discipline and race must be taken into account in school discipline. This long-standing, bitter controversy in Oregon highlights a larger issue: Schools all around the country are grappling with how to adopt disciplinary practices that are both fair and equitable.
An Analysis of the Problem
The issue around the Portland Public Schools policy really represents a social justice issue: inordinate disciplinary actions. The policy itself does not speak to actions taken for discipline but does point out the complexities of reaching equity in a system that has historically worked against students of colour (Garro et al., 2020). Critics of the doctrine, in their turn, note the potential in this idea to have the white student subject to harsher punishment than a student of colour for the same infraction. That ignores, of course, the fact of life: Racial disparities in school discipline are well-documented. The picture is clear: Students of colour are disciplined more harshly, more often for the same infractions, or even for milder ones than their white peers. Doubtless, it is a policy that provokes, but it does bring to light the necessity of a more tempered view on social justice issues that also incorporates the underlying causes.
The reasons for such disproportionality in disciplinary action cut across many lines. Behaviour could easily be determined by the educators’ implicit bias; for example, if they have unconscious stereotypes about students of colour, then they, in turn, might react to or see the behaviour that way (Mitchell & Martinez, 2020). This may also be brought about by cultural misunderstandings, for instance, when a student’s communication or body language turns out to be offensive to an educator who is not aware of the cultural background of students. Such policies also meant for safety remain unflexible and may entail hard penalties, even for petty offences that are seen as disproportionately falling on the student of colour, through such decisions as a zero-tolerance policy.
The issue has resulted in comprehensive and serious consequences due to the differential implementation of student discipline for students of colour. The resulting effects of suspensions and expulsions, which are incidences that interrupt a student’s education, include academic backsliding and reduced motivation (Mitchell et al., 2020). Such experiences would affect the self-esteem of the student, which might give a feeling of alienation from his or her own school community. Furthermore, related to disciplinary action, stress and stigma are able to bring negative effects on mental health that increase anxiety and depression among students. This cycle of punishment can further contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline, as students with records of discipline enter the criminal justice system and thus make up their very dismal future.
Possible Solutions to the Problem
The fight against racial bias in enforcing discipline in schools calls for a multifaceted approach. A very vital remedy is culture competency training for educators. This training equips educators with information and skills that help them understand and respect cultural contexts that are different from their own. Cultural sensitivity, therefore, allows educators to better understand such conduct in the first place and avoid any misunderstandings, which may be the result of the cultural gap (Wegmann & Smith, 2019). Restoration practices with a focus on repairing damage, conflict resolution, and those fostering restorative justice provide an alternative to practices that feature punishment. This perspective can provide students with a self-opportunity to notice their mistakes and be responsible for their behaviour in relationship-building with respect in the school community.
A multi-layered solution based on school psychology should be implemented directly in an effort to entirely eliminate the problem of disproportionate discipline against students of colour. First, the school psychologist should be able to support the use of schoolwide culturally responsive practices. This means working with educators to develop culturally responsive behaviour expectations and intervention programming with respect to student backgrounds and student needs (Scott, 2021). In accordance with the expanded promotion of further social-emotional learning (SEL) programs, school psychologists could assist in contributing to promoting a positive school climate. By helping learners develop skills in managing their own emotions, resolving conflicts, and developing positive relations, the SEL programs reduce problematic behaviours and, therefore, the need for disciplinary action. School psychologists and educators can use data to make these improvements in disciplinary practices, which are more fair and once equitable for all students.
The proposed multi-layered solution best aligns with the principles of social justice and the role of school psychologists. Equitable and inclusive practices ensure that there is value and respect for every student regardless of the kind of background they come from (Scott, 2021). This creates a conducive and positive environment in which students can thrive. Equally important, cultural relevance intervention by school psychologists meets the need to prevent the basis for reasons for misbehaviour among students: cultural misunderstanding issues. This is in accordance with the justice aspect, making fairness evident when the dismantling system perpetuates racial inequalities. This sets a culturally responsive school environment and the social-emotional development of students, in essence as an open door to the nurturing of an inclusive learning environment that social justice principles aspire greatly to.
School psychologists could serve as consultants in engaging families of colour in a dialogue toward an understanding from the perspective and cultural context from which the student comes, including this bridge in perspective. Working with families will mean even more successful intervention by helping them specifically target needed areas and reinforce success within the home and school environment. Further, this is to be met through partnering with community institutions that will enable students of colour to access benefits from exposure to extra opportunities and mentorship programs along with the social and emotional factors likely causing the behaviour related to the disruptions (Garro et al., 2021). This collaborative approach is in keeping with the very tenets of school psychology: understanding students within their ecological context and considering the family dynamics and community influences impacting their academic and behavioural well-being. This approach, which has a basis in family and community, should underpin the social justice principles of equity and inclusion within the process of working together.
Conclusion
Developing a just, fair, and equitable learning environment is a shared responsibility. School psychologists, however, are the major players and can contribute toward this by promoting the development of culturally responsive practices in the school. Social-eminent learning and family collaboration with community critique and reflection for a way forward in dealing with the issue of racial bias is also a critical phenomenon in the practice of school discipline. A learning environment in which all students remain safe, respected, and supported is not just a privilege but a right. Indeed, therefore, school psychologists hold some unique duty as vanguards in this imperative change within the field of education.
References
Garro, A., Giordano, K., Gubi, A., & Shortway, K. (2021). A consultation approach to target exclusionary discipline of students of colour in early childhood education. Contemporary School Psychology, 25(1), 124-135.
Losen, D. J., & Martinez, P. (2020). Lost opportunities: How disparate school discipline continues to drive differences in the opportunity to learn.
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7hm2456z
Mitchell, M. M., Armstrong, G., & Armstrong, T. (2020). Disproportionate school disciplinary responses: An exploration of privatization and minority threat hypothesis among black, Hispanic, and Native American students. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 31(1), 80–102.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0887403418813672
Scott, T. M. (2021). Implicit bias, disproportionate discipline, and teacher responsibility for instruction as prevention. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 65(4), 291–300.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2021.1937021
Watrobski. K. Oregon school district under fire for making race “main criteria” in discipline policy. (2024, February 16). The National Desk. https://thenationaldesk.com/amp/news/americas-news-now/oregon-school-district-under-fire-for-making-race-main-criteria-in-discipline-policy-portland-public-schools-parents-defending-education-students-restorative-justice-racial-discrimination-crisis-in-the-classroom
Wegmann, K. M., & Smith, B. (2019). Examining racial/ethnic disparities in school discipline in the context of student-reported behaviour infractions. Children and Youth Services Review, 103, 18-27.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.05.027
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