Culturally Sustaining Inclusive Systemic Design to Address Overrepresentation of Students of Color with and without Dis/abilities in Exclusionary Practices

Abstract

Overrepresentation of students of color with and without dis/abilities in exclusionary practices (e.g., suspension, expulsion) is a historically accumulating educational debt that stems from the intersection of racism, ableism, and other forms of oppression. As a historical, sociopolitical, and geospatial situated issue, addressing racial disproportionality in exclusionary practices requires developing localized solutions in response to local racial politics and the school community’s needs and goals. In an effort to develop localized solutions to racial disproportionality in exclusionary practices, the Learning Lab was implemented at an urban Middle School in the 2021–2022 academic year. The Learning Lab is a community-driven systemic design process in which local stakeholders engage in systemic analysis of the existing system and collaboratively design a new schoolwide support system. This study investigated how school stakeholders designed a culturally sustaining and inclusive support system to address the overrepresentation of students of color with and without dis/abilities in exclusionary practices.