The Reality of Restorative: The Impact on Discipline Disparities in a Large Urban School District

Authors

Eboni Williams, Youngstown State UniversityFollow
Karen H. Larwin PhD, Youngstown State UniversityFollow

Abstract

Disparities in exclusionary discipline rates persist for African American students, who often receive harsher punishments than their White peers, especially for subjective offenses. Implicit bias contributes to perceptions of African American children as older, less innocent, and more deserving of severe discipline (Gilliam et al., 2016; Lewis & Diamond, 2015; Welsh & Little, 2018). Excessive discipline correlates with negative long-term outcomes, including higher dropout rates and incarceration (Skiba et al., 2014). This study evaluates the impact of restorative justice in reducing these disparities in a large urban district. While general linear modeling indicated significant suspension rate changes for grades 9-12 students, no overall reduction in suspensions for African American students was observed.

Recommended Citation

Williams, Eboni and Larwin, Karen H. PhD () "The Reality of Restorative: The Impact on Discipline Disparities in a Large Urban School District," Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership: Vol. 10: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/joel/vol10/iss1/4