Teacher Beliefs and the Overrepresentation of Black Students in Classroom Discipline.

TEACHER attitudes; AFRICAN American students; CLASSROOM management; RACIAL differences; STUDENT suspension; EDUCATION

Racial disparities in teacher-issued office discipline referrals are less discussed than the well-documented suspension gaps. Discipline referrals, like suspension, can lead to lost instructional time. Although individuals are sent out of the classroom for a range of reasons, Black students, as a group, are at greater risk of being sent out than White students. In fact, studies have shown that when comparing students with similar characteristics, Black students remain at higher risk of being referred. In this article, we argue there is a need to raise teacher awareness about negative racial beliefs and the conditions under which those beliefs impact decision-making during discipline incidents. We further point out the need to foster teacher awareness about the power of positive beliefs in affecting student outcomes and the malleability of beliefs and disciplinary practices through intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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