A Test of Racial Disparities in Principals’ Disciplinary Decisions in a National Sample

Abstract

Access to education is important for success as an adult. Exclusionary discipline (e.g., suspensions) reduces opportunities for students to complete their education and be strong candidates for future jobs. Black students face a disproportionately high risk of disciplinary action. Thus, it is important to understand when and how racial disparities in suspensions emerge in order to reduce their disproportionate negative impacts on Black students. Past research found racial disparities emerge after two misbehaviors among teachers and just a single misbehavior among assistant principals. The current research tests the generalizability of racial disparities in discipline from principals across the United States and a psychological process that potentially contributes to the racial disparities: their perception of their professional role relative to that of teachers. In this procedure and with a diverse sample, principals did not endorse significantly different amounts of discipline for Black and White students. We explore potential explanations of these null results in the discussion.