Closing the Racial Discipline Gap in Classrooms by Changing Teacher Practice

Abstract

Black students are issued school discipline sanctions at rates higher than members of other racial and ethnic groups, underscoring the need for professional development that addresses this gap. In 86 secondary classrooms, a randomized controlled trial examined the effects of a 2-year teacher coaching program, My Teaching Partner Secondary (MTP-S). Results from the second year of coaching and the year after coaching was discontinued replicated previous findings from the first year of coaching—intervention teachers had no significant disparities in discipline referral between Black students and their classmates, compared to teachers in the control condition, for whom racial discipline gaps remained. Thus, MTP-S effects were replicated in the second year of coaching and maintained when coaching was withdrawn. Mediational analyses identified mechanisms for these effects; Black students had a low probability of receiving disciplinary referrals with teachers who increased skills to engage students in high-level analysis and inquiry.

My Teaching Partner-Secondary: A Video-Based Coaching Model

“…In this way, the program serves many groups through its promotion of positive outcomes. Yet, MTP-S was also found to have a preventative role by buffering African American students’ risk of receiving classroom discipline referrals, while not affecting discipline referral rates for white students (which were already low; Gregory et al, 2016). In this manner, the program has been shown to reduce racial inequality related to behavioral outcomes.…”

“…It is also noteworthy that in both RCTs the coaching process was experienced by teachers as acceptable and feasible: 100% of MTP-S teachers said the coaching cycles were “worth the time it took,” and over 95% of the teachers agreed that the cycles were “productive” (Gregory et al, 2016; Gregory et al, 2014). This suggests that the 2 week cycles involving multiple steps including video recording instruction, sharing the recording with the coach, reflecting on coach feedback, and communicating with the coach were experienced as a valuable professional development experience.…”

“…In addition, after one year of coaching, MTP-S teachers had no significant disparities in discipline referral between African American students and their classmates, compared to teachers in the control condition, for whom racial discipline gaps remained (Gregory, Allen, Mikami, Hafen, & Pianta, 2015). A follow-up mediational study showed that increases in the CLASS-S dimension, Analysis and Inquiry , explained the effects (Gregory et al, 2016). This suggests that improving the instructional support in the classroom by providing students with more opportunities for higher level thinking skills and problem-solving (via MTP-S coaching) is a strategy for reducing racial disparities in classroom discipline.…”

“…Specifically, prior research on the secondary version of CLASS and MTP highlight the role of emotional and instructional supports as they relate to positive outcomes for students (e.g., Allen et al, 2013; Gregory et al, 2016). For example, mediational analyses in the 2 MTP-S trials found that strengthened instructional supports were associated with improved student engagement (Gregory et al, 2014) and reduced discipline referrals (Gregory et al, 2016). A new iteration of MTP-S might be more instructionally focused, with coaches and teachers devoting more time to the instructional CLASS-S dimensions relative to the other dimensions.…”

Physically Embodying the Oppressive Trinity: Engaging in Disruptive Identity Praxis as a White Middle Class Male

“…It informed redlining post-World War II [20,21]. And it continues today in the form of racialized disciplinary measures in education from kindergarten through university and beyond [22]. Today, America's communities are less diverse then during the Civil Rights movement [23].…”