To educate or to incarcerate: Factors in disproportionality in school discipline

The school-to-prison pipeline describes the process by which school suspension/expulsion may push adolescents into the justice system disproportionately based on race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender. The current study moves the field forward by analyzing a survey of a diverse sample of 2539 students in 10th to 12th grade in Southern California to examine how demographic, individual, and family factors contribute to disparities in office referral and suspension/expulsion. African Americans, boys, and students whose parents had less education were more likely to be suspended/expelled. Higher levels of student academic preparation for class, hours spent on homework, and academic aspiration were associated with less school discipline. Findings suggest that helping students engage in school may be protective against disproportionate school discipline. •Measures demographic, individual, and family factors in disparities in office referral and suspension/expulsion.•African Americans, students whose parents had less education, and boys were more likely to be suspended/expelled.•More preparation for class, more homework hours, and less prior year delinquency were associated with less office referral.•More homework hours & academic aspirations and less delinquency & marijuana use were associated with less suspension/expulsion.•Students with parents with less education were suspended/expelled more when they indicated 1 of 4 factors.•Interventions that promote student engagement in school may be protective against disproportionate school discipline.