School Leadership, Race, and School Discipline: Examining the Relationship Between School Leader-Student Racial Congruence and the Likelihood of Exclusionary Discipline

Abstract

Racial disparities in disciplinary outcomes are a salient educational policy and equity issue. Most of the research on school discipline focuses on teachers rather than school leaders and prior studies have largely examined principals’ attitudes. This study uses data from a mid-sized urban district to examine how student-school leader race interactions influence the likelihood of receiving suspensions conditional on receiving an infraction, with specific focus on Black, Latinx and White students and both principals and assistant principals (APs). The results indicate that the prevalence of exclusionary discipline is similar for schools with Black and White principals, but slightly higher in schools with White principals (this is the case for both elementary and high schools, but not middle schools). Black-White discipline disparities are higher in schools with White principals and APs, compared to schools with Black principals and APs. But there are no clear patterns for Latinx-White disparities. The probability of students receiving suspensions varies substantially across infraction type, principal race, AP race, and schooling level. The findings illustrate the nuances between the overall and discriminatory use of suspensions and highlight the need for closer attention to the types of suspensions and infractions. States and districts should also invest in initiatives that diversify school leadership given the importance of diversity for students’ disciplinary experiences.