Many urban school districts are adopting restorative practices (RP) as a means to reduce suspensions and resolve racial discipline gaps. In this study, we use a sensemaking framework to examine educators' beliefs about discipline and their perceptions of RP and its implementation. We draw on survey responses (N = 363) administered after educators…

This study sought to explore the extent to which and how principals can help decrease the use of out-of-school suspension and close the racial discipline gap. This study comprised a qualitative case study of a principal in an urban school district. Data derive from in-depth interviews with current and former campus and district leaders, historical…

Diverse-by-design (DbD) schools intentionally recruit students to create a racially/socioeconomically diverse student population. They seek to address historic segregation patterns in neighborhoods and build bridges across differences by intentionally developing diverse learning environments. DbD schools often demonstrate an increase in academic…

Restorative justice practices are an increasingly popular approach to behavioral management, rooted in relationships rather than the behaviorist approach of many traditional forms of schooling. Research on restorative practice implementation demonstrates that schools rarely have time to consider cultural change, as they rush to reduce suspensions…

Recent studies have provided insight into the schooling experiences and lives of Black girls. These studies highlight the challenges that Black girls face in the school environment including underachievement, disproportionality in school discipline, deficit ideologies, and educator and counselor bias. The current study centers the voices on high…

Drawing on data from a year-long multi-case ethnography of three secondary urban public schools implementing restorative practices, the current piece examines how principals negotiate restorative practices despite conflicting pressures to maintain order and compel obedience. I frame my inquiry through Sergiovanni's (2000) concept of…

Racial disparities are evident in both educational outcomes and incarceration rates when comparing African American and white youth. It is essential to understand the school-to-prison pipeline and the ways in which school discipline practices and other factors disproportionately affect African American students, limit educational attainment, and…

Students' challenging behavior is impacting negatively on teachers' wellbeing worldwide. Currently, teaching for some teachers in South African primary schools has become exhausting and daunting to say the least. Teachers feel that they have had enough degradation and are not receiving the respect they, as professionals, deserve. Students'…

School discipline is a significant educational policy and equity issue in K-12 education due to well-documented racial inequality in exclusionary discipline and the deleterious effects of exclusionary discipline on academic and adult outcomes. Drawing on interviews with district and school administrators and teachers in an…

Students placed in special education programs for emotional and behavioral disorders with emotional disturbance (ED) identification have academic outcomes that lag both students in regular and special education. This issue is especially important for youth attending urban schools. Although prior research has examined students identified as ED,…

Student mobility and school discipline are two prominent challenges in urban school districts. The interaction of gender with school discipline in shaping patterns of student mobility has received little attention. This article examines student mobility patterns across gender and the timing of school changes in Clark County, Nevada. The findings…

Obtaining a college degree can enhance many aspects of one's life including health outcomes and lifetime earnings. Given the racial opportunity gap that remains prevalent in the education system, and the gendered racial biases held against Black girls and women, they face many obstacles on their path to higher education. Considering the…

The school-to-prison pipeline represents an educational environment that allows public schools to push many at-risk children out of school and into the juvenile justice or the adult criminal justice system. Consequently, this study explores the disproportionate rates of discipline when comparing Black and White female students in the national…

School-based discipline can negatively shape the educational outcomes of students, particularly for racial and ethnic minorities. Because racial and ethnic minority youth are at risk for educational failure and marginalized within schools, academic and sport extracurricular activities are often presented as a means to ameliorate educational risk…

Expulsion and suspension rates among African American students are the highest of all racial groups across elementary, middle, and high schools. This study investigates whether a more racially diverse teaching force could alleviate exclusion rates among Black students. Using administrative data from the universe of K-12 public schools in the state…