“You Don’t Know What’s Really Going On”: Reducing the Discipline Gap by Addressing Adversity, Connection and Resources

Despite the known impact of exposure to adversity on academic outcomes, the role of adversity, particularly expanded forms of adversity, is overlooked within school discipline. Disproportionate application of exclusionary discipline is known to feed disparate educational and criminal justice pathways, particularly for Black and Indigenous males. The objective of this constructivist grounded theory study was to understand the experiences and needs of students who have been suspended or expelled, to inform practice and policy in education. The following research question was addressed: (1) What situations, supports or experiences have positively or negatively influenced the academic journey of students who have been suspended or expelled? Participants ( n = 31) were recruited through suspension and expulsion programs in two school boards in urban and urban emergent areas of Ontario. Fifteen students, aged 14–19, were interviewed, (male, n = 11; Black, n = 10) and 16 multidisciplinary staff. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through constructivist grounded theory methodology. Three interconnected themes, exposure to adversity, connection, and access to resources emerged as influencing students who have been suspended or expelled. Exposure to adversity negatively impacted school success, reinforcing biased perspectives of students, blocking connection, and influencing access to resources throughout students’ education, including at the point of discipline. The findings point towards the importance of explicit trauma-informed and culturally aware policy that fosters connection and ensures adequate resources for schools, communities, and students most impacted by expanded forms of adversity.