Zero tolerance disciplinary policies were originally aimed at creating safer educational environments for all students (Kang-Brown et al., 2013). However, the implementation has led to unforeseen issues in education. These policies are often enforced using predetermined consequences that do not account for practitioners discretion based on each situation involving the student. Zero tolerance policies may cover dress code violations, talking back to faculty and staff, weapons and drug possession, and other insubordinations (Monahan et al., 2014), which result in suspension or expulsion. The American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force found that there was “a negative relationship between the use of school suspension and expulsion
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During the 2011-2012 academic year, the US Department of Education reported that 1.2 million Black students were suspended from K-12 public schools (Smith & Harper, 2015). Over 55% of the suspensions occurred within 13 Southern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Southern school districts were also responsible for 50% of Black student expulsions from K-12 public schools. However, Black students only made up 24% of the total enrollment of the 3,022 Southern school districts analyzed, which illustrates how they are disproportionately suspended and expelled from public schools. Mississippi reported the highest percentage proportion of those suspensions at 74%, but Florida suspended the highest number of students at 121,468. Additionally, Mississippi and Louisiana tied for highest percentage of expulsions at 72%, but Tennessee expelled the highest number at 5,559. Overall, Black males accounted for 65% of the total suspensions in Southern states. Nationally, Black males accounted for 35% of suspensions and 34% of expulsions.
As an alternative to zero tolerance policies, researchers and scholars have explored culturally responsive classroom management strategies. In this paper, I explore the existing literature on culturally responsive classroom management in order to analyze …show more content…
Culturally responsive classroom management is grounded in the assumption that teachers use their own cultural contexts to make judgments (Bondy et al., 2007; Weinstein et al., 2003). For instance, teachers may mistake Black students talking loudly as an act of defiance when in actually it may be a cultural norm (Thompson, 2004). Therefore, teachers have to come to understand the cultural contexts and norms students bring into the
During the 2011-2012 academic year, the US Department of Education reported that 1.2 million Black students were suspended from K-12 public schools (Smith & Harper, 2015). Over 55% of the suspensions occurred within 13 Southern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Southern school districts were also responsible for 50% of Black student expulsions from K-12 public schools. However, Black students only made up 24% of the total enrollment of the 3,022 Southern school districts analyzed, which illustrates how they are disproportionately suspended and expelled from public schools. Mississippi reported the highest percentage proportion of those suspensions at 74%, but Florida suspended the highest number of students at 121,468. Additionally, Mississippi and Louisiana tied for highest percentage of expulsions at 72%, but Tennessee expelled the highest number at 5,559. Overall, Black males accounted for 65% of the total suspensions in Southern states. Nationally, Black males accounted for 35% of suspensions and 34% of expulsions.
As an alternative to zero tolerance policies, researchers and scholars have explored culturally responsive classroom management strategies. In this paper, I explore the existing literature on culturally responsive classroom management in order to analyze …show more content…
Culturally responsive classroom management is grounded in the assumption that teachers use their own cultural contexts to make judgments (Bondy et al., 2007; Weinstein et al., 2003). For instance, teachers may mistake Black students talking loudly as an act of defiance when in actually it may be a cultural norm (Thompson, 2004). Therefore, teachers have to come to understand the cultural contexts and norms students bring into the