Structural limitations and functional alternatives reducing suspensions and preserving racial suspension gaps

ABSTRACT

Although studies on school suspensions focus on the disproportionate number of Black students receiving them, policy changes reducing suspensions offer new insights into the racial gap. Using annual school-level data from the Chicago Public Schools (2012–2016), I evaluate how a suspension reduction policy affected the number of students receiving suspensions, and the suspension gaps between majority Black schools and other schools. I find that the policy reduced overall suspensions but still preserved racial suspension gaps. I argue how structural limitations and functional alternatives played important roles in these consequences, and how this suggests the importance of contextual factors in assisting structural changes.

KEYWORDS:

• Suspension
• discipline
• Chicago Public Schools
• racial bias

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Anna Mueller, Francis Mckay, Sara Stoelinga Lauren Sartain, Scott Jung, Chelsea Jack, and Daniel Udell, all from the University of Chicago, for their assistance in refining this submission. Gratitude is also sent to the editors and anonymous peer reviewers for their helpful suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.