Does De-Facto Segregation Affect Administrators’ Decisions?: The Case of Administrators’ Race and Socialization in School Discipline Policy

The implications of segregated education are well known for students, but fewer studies consider segregation’s effect on school administrators and their enactment of school policies. This study explores the effect that de facto segregation has on administrative behavior and the implementation of discipline policies in schools. Specifically, it considers the socializing effect that segregation can have on administrators and consequently, its effect on student outcomes. Analyzing two years of data from an original survey of the 1,800 largest school districts, the findings reveal that overall, de facto segregation does not socialize administrators to implement policies differently, but it leads to substantively different policy outcomes. Minority administrators in segregated districts reduce the odds of suspension at a higher rate than administrators in desegregated school districts. Racial differences among administrators also emerge, suggesting that race, along with segregation, may play an important role in policy implementation. The research offers insight on the significance of contemporary segregation for both students and administrators.

Paper forthcoming in the Journal of Race and Policy.

The Role of Desegregation and Teachers of Color in Discipline Disproportionality

Scholars note the multitude of ways that the continual shifts in the racial composition of schools affect students, but fewer studies consider the implications of such shifts for teachers. This study uses 3 years of data from an original survey of the 1800 largest school districts to examine the effect of segregation on teachers and their implementation of discipline policies. Specifically, it asks “do teachers in desegregated districts implement policies differently from their colleagues in segregated school districts?” The findings reveal that Black and Latino teachers in segregated school districts implement discipline policies more equitably than teachers in desegregated school districts. However, White teachers in segregated and desegregated school districts do not differ substantively in their implementation of discipline policies. The research holds implications for understanding the salience of school desegregation in shaping teachers’ decisions and its role in contemporary discipline disproportionality.