On top of contending with a pandemic-driven shift to distance learning this year, educators have also had to address the nation’s rising awareness of systemic racism in the wake of protests over the police-involved deaths of Black Americans.
For many districts, efforts to advance racial equity and eliminate systemic racism have begun with the disparities in discipline between Black and White students. A study published in October 2019 revealed a 10% jump in the discipline gap between students in grades 3-8 correlates with an achievement gap 17% larger than typical between Black and White students.