School exclusions and masculine, working‐class identities

Abstract

In this paper attention will be paid to issues arising from school-based research into the experience of working-class boys who are excluded. National and local school exclusion statistics indicate an overall gender imbalance: in the secondary school sector, for every four boys who are excluded only one girl is excluded. Furthermore, statistics show that other groups such as pupils living in poverty (as indicated by receipt of free school meals) have an increased likelihood of being excluded from school. Explanations for the disproportionate exclusion of working-class boys are considered here in relation to three pupil case studies drawn from a group of 20 case studies gathered in four secondary schools. There are indications that the processes by which some working-class boys actively negotiate their masculinities are the same processes that lead to their exclusion from school. This paper uses empirical data from interviews and classroom observation to analyse these twin processes, considering how and why certain masculine identities are marginalized in school settings.

The achievement effects of tardy classmates: evidence in urban elementary schools

“…The relevance of the absence literature to this present study is that this body of research unequivocally concludes missing school is harmful to both current and future educational outcomes (Dreyfoos, 1990;Finn, 1993;Lehr, Sinclair, & Christenson, 2004;Stouthamer-Loeber & Loeber, 1988). In addition to lower standardized testing achievement levels correlated with missing school (Gottfried,School Effectiveness and School Improvement 5 2009), students with higher track records of absence behavior face additional educational and economic consequences, including grade retention (Neild & Balfanz, 2006), high school dropout (Rumberger, 1995;Rumberger & Thomas, 2000), and future unemployment (Alexander, Entwisle, & Horsey, 1997;Broadhurst, Patron, & May-Chahal, 2005;Kane, 2006). Students who miss school more frequently also face higher risks of smoking tobacco, consuming alcohol, and using drugs (Halfors et al, 2002).…”

“…In identifying significant classroom contextual factors for urban elementary youth, the results of this study can be used to develop policy and support interventions early in schooling. The focus on early school years is crucial for policy makers, as prior research has suggested that for urban students, missing school (i.e., full day absences) in early years of schooling has been found to be related to both diminished current and future educational outcomes, including lower testing performance, increased probability of grade retention, higher high school dropout rates, fewer employment opportunities, and greater chance of engaging in illegal activities (Alexander et al, 1997;Balfanz & Byrnes, 2006;Broadhurst et al, 2005;Gottfried, 2009Gottfried, , 2010Kane, 2006;Neild & Balfanz, 2006). Hence, documenting the effects of missing school for elementary school students will enable the early remediation of young urban students at risk for educational failure, before they enter into secondary education where the ramifications of missing school become increasingly harmful to the probability of both schooling and economic success.…”

Linking Getting to School With Going to School

“…Simply stated, absenteeism is harmful. Although much of the work in the area of absences is correlational (for more causal studies, see Gershenson, Jacknowitz, & Brannegan, 2016; Goodman, 2014; Gottfried, 2010, 2011b; Marcotte & Hemelt, 2008), research has unequivocally found that children who miss school tend to have lower standardized testing outcomes, higher chances of grade retention and dropout, more difficulty with social development and greater feelings of alienation, increased drug and alcohol use once in young adulthood, and worsened employment prospects (Alexander, Entwisle, & Horsey, 1997; Broadhurst, Paton, & May-Chahal, 2005; Chen & Stevenson, 1995; Connell, Spencer, & Aber, 1994; Ekstrom, Goertz, Pollack, & Rock, 1986; Finn, 1993; Gershenson et al, 2016; Goodman, 2014; Gottfried, 2009, 2010, 2011b, 2014; Hallfors et al, 2002; Kane, 2006; Morrissey, Hutchison, & Winsler, 2014; Newmann, 1981). More so, it has been established that a spillover effect exists in regard to absenteeism; when classmates miss more school, all students in the classroom tend to have lower test scores (Gottfried, 2011a, in press).…”

Chronic Absenteeism and Its Effects on Students’ Academic and Socioemotional Outcomes

“…Highly absent students also tend to engage in both current and future health-risk behaviors, such as smoking and alcohol and drug use (Hallfors et al, 2002;Wang, Blomberg, & Li, 2005). Economically, students who are more frequently absent also face greater future economic hardships, such as unemployment (Alexander et al, 1997;Broadhurst et al, 2005;Kane, 2006).…”