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Abstract
Research has suggested that students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds (e.g., students of color and those with disabilities) have received higher rates of exclusionary discipline (e.g., suspensions and expulsions) than their peers who are White and without disability. Various interventions have been implemented to address this issue; however, disproportional disciplinary practices remain an area of concern for school leaders and researchers. The current article posits an alternative approach to this issue through reframing how we think of education and exclusionary discipline. Addressing behavior through the lens of behavioral functioning allows for teachers and administrators to be able to better pinpoint “why” a student is engaging in a behavior that may lead to disciplinary infractions. This approach can help with disproportional disciplinary practices as determining behavioral functioning helps to drive effective intervention, which, when implemented with fidelity, should reduce the need to remove the student from class.
Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2021.1937023 .
Additional information
Notes on contributors
R. Allan Allday
R. Allan Allday, BCBA-D is an Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Kentucky. His professional focus has been on training adults and caregivers on how to intervene with challenging behavior in school, home and clinical environments to promote student success. His research focuses on how changes in adult behavior can affect student behavior.
Jonathan L. Burt
Jonathan L. Burt, BCBA is an Assistant Clinical Professor in Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of Louisville. His professional responsibilities involve teaching graduate courses in Applied Behavior Analyis and practicum supervision for students in the autism and ABA program.
Kaitlin N. Haggard
Kaitlin N. Haggard, BCBA is a graduate of the University of Kentucky’s applied behavior analysis program. She is a licensed behavior analyst and psychologist in Kentucky. Currently, Kaitlin is a practicing behavior analyst in Northern Kentucky, where her focus is on working with children and youth who engaged in challenging behaviors.