444 - Exclusionary School Discipline Negatively Impacts School Achievement for Middle/High Schoolers

Saturday, April 29, 2023

3:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET

Poster Number: 444
Publication Number: 444.219

Camila Cribb Fabersunne, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, United States; Ali Zahir, UC, San Francisco, CA, United States; Dannielle McBride, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; Angela Gallegos-Castillo, Instituto Familiar de la Raza, Berkeley, CA, United States; Seung Yeon Lee, Independent researcher, Foster City, CA, United States; Kaja LeWinn, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, United States; Meghan D. Morris, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, United States

Presenting Author(s)

Camila Cribb Fabersunne, MD, MPH (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
San Francisco, California, United States

Background: In the United States there are racial inequities in exclusionary school discipline (ESD) practices. ESD are defined as any discipline that removes students from their classroom (e.g., referrals, suspensions, and/or expulsions). Student “misbehavior” (e.g., hyperactivity, impulsiveness) can often be a manifestation of trauma which is met with exclusion from schools more often in students who are targeted by racism. Racially discriminatory ESD can contribute to various adverse psychological outcomes across the life-course, much like adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Objective: We investigated if experiencing an ESD event is associated with a subsequent reduction in GPA, and whether underrepresented minority students (URM) are disproportionately affected compared to non-URM students.

Design/Methods:

The study was performed in a single, large urban school district using retrospective administrative longitudinal data of 6^th-10^th graders from 2014-2017. We applied general linear models to examine the independent relationship of ESD events on the average change in a student’s GPA, collected each semester. We evaluated the relative variation among URM students experiencing an ESD event. Students who identified as Black; Hispanic/LatinX; Southeast Asian; Native American or Alaskan Native; Pacific Islander; or two or more races were labeled URM.

Results:

Of the 16,849 students, 21.4% experienced at least one ESD event. The mean age was 14.26 (Standard Deviation (SD) 1.6) and 45% were URM. URM students experienced a greater number of ESD events compared with non-URM students (URM: 2.6 events, SD = 7.8; non-URM: 0.4 events, SD = 2.8; p< 0.001). When controlling for sex, maternal education, URM status, and school year, having experienced an ESD event was associated with an average GPA reduction of 0.60 points (95% confidence interval [CI]: [-0.64, -0.56]) compared to no ESD events. We found a significant interaction between ESD and URM such URM students experiencing an ESD event had an additional 0.11 (95% CI:-0.16, -0.06) point reduction in GPA. A greater associated reduction in GPA was observed for students experiencing two or more ESD events (0.83 points (95% CI: -0.86, -0.80)) compared to none.

Conclusion(s):

Our study demonstrated racial disparities in ESD prevalence and its association with decreased GPA (educational attainment). We recommend that ESD be categorized as an ACE and be abolished from schools as a disciplinary measure. It is important for pediatricians to screen for ESD to assist families in advocating for education and health equity.