In the year following the turn of the millennia, almost 4 million students were suspended or expelled from schools throughout the United States (U.S. Department of Education, 2000). This type of discipline that takes the student out of the learning environment is referred to as exclusionary discipline and students of color; particularly African American youths are disproportionately represented when compared to their white counterparts. African American children make up 17 percent of all students nationally, but 33 percent of suspensions as reported by the U.S. Department of Education in 2000. Numerous studies have documented the long-term negative effects of school exclusion, including dropping out, juvenile delinquency, unemployment, and
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al titled, “Out-of-School Suspensions of Black Youths: Culture, Ability, Disability, Gender, and Perspective”, the lives of four black teens who faced out of school suspension were chronicled. The study was conducted as a secondary school where 75% of the student body received free or reduced lunches. Black students comprised 45% of the total number of students enrolled but received 85% of the suspensions in the 2013-2014 school year. The case of Nina, a 12 year old African American girl, was used to illustrate the often overlooked motivations for misbehavior resulting in suspension. This case study pointed out that educators rarely look beyond the behavior to the cause, sexual abuse in this instance, and that can lead to black students feeling unprotected and disenfranchised with school as a …show more content…
The researcher resolved that student apathy is often caused by low teacher expectations, ineffectual instructional practices, a culturally unconnected curriculum, an over importance placed on standardized tests, weak classroom management skills, and racial tensions at school. In, “School Order, Justice, and Education: Climate, Discipline Practices, and Dropping Out” Peguero and Bracy (2012) note that the most recent round of standardized testing has been detrimental to black students and has resulted in teaching methods and a school culture that leave little in the way of motivation on the part of the black children. Peguero even goes as far as to say “Apathy leads to misbehavior. If the student, any student, is not engaged, they are going to misbehave.” This cycle of apathy and misbehavior has led to more and more black students receiving consequences that result in more and more time out of the classroom. Since 2003, the number of Black students who have been suspended and expelled has increased dramatically. For example, in 2003, Peguero and Bacy find that 30% of Black high school students were suspended from school, compared to 18% of Whites. In 2007, 49% of Black high school students were suspended, but only 17% of their White counterparts were. For Black males, the
al titled, “Out-of-School Suspensions of Black Youths: Culture, Ability, Disability, Gender, and Perspective”, the lives of four black teens who faced out of school suspension were chronicled. The study was conducted as a secondary school where 75% of the student body received free or reduced lunches. Black students comprised 45% of the total number of students enrolled but received 85% of the suspensions in the 2013-2014 school year. The case of Nina, a 12 year old African American girl, was used to illustrate the often overlooked motivations for misbehavior resulting in suspension. This case study pointed out that educators rarely look beyond the behavior to the cause, sexual abuse in this instance, and that can lead to black students feeling unprotected and disenfranchised with school as a …show more content…
The researcher resolved that student apathy is often caused by low teacher expectations, ineffectual instructional practices, a culturally unconnected curriculum, an over importance placed on standardized tests, weak classroom management skills, and racial tensions at school. In, “School Order, Justice, and Education: Climate, Discipline Practices, and Dropping Out” Peguero and Bracy (2012) note that the most recent round of standardized testing has been detrimental to black students and has resulted in teaching methods and a school culture that leave little in the way of motivation on the part of the black children. Peguero even goes as far as to say “Apathy leads to misbehavior. If the student, any student, is not engaged, they are going to misbehave.” This cycle of apathy and misbehavior has led to more and more black students receiving consequences that result in more and more time out of the classroom. Since 2003, the number of Black students who have been suspended and expelled has increased dramatically. For example, in 2003, Peguero and Bacy find that 30% of Black high school students were suspended from school, compared to 18% of Whites. In 2007, 49% of Black high school students were suspended, but only 17% of their White counterparts were. For Black males, the