Not Separate but Not Equal: Improving Equity in Discipline in Racially and Ethnically Diverse School Settings

Abstract

Educational inequities leading to deleterious outcomes and related to discipline continue within racially and ethnically diverse schools for myriad of reasons. Districts and schools require deliberate planning and systems change prioritized by educational administrators to address both interpersonal and structural racism and biases. This article outlines a blueprint that leverages the positive behavioral interventions and supports framework in completion of the following: (a) code of conduct revisions; (b) data analysis; (c) cultural and implicit bias awareness; and (d) culturally responsive hiring, training, and teaching.