A new study out of the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans at Tulane University finds from 2001 to 2014, black students were twice as likely as white students to be suspended. Low income students were about 1.75 times more likely as non-low income students to be suspended. Researcher Nathan Barrett says these numbers are troubling.
Barrett says they also found that punishments resulting from fights between a black student and white student are different.
Barret says it’s hard to determine if adults are intentionally punishing students differently. He says reducing discipline disparities based on race and income requires addressing both within-school and across school disparities.