Event Website
https://publichealth.lsuhsc.edu/honorsday/2021/
Start Date
1-4-2024 9:00 AM
Description
Background: In Louisiana schools, there is high incidence and racially disparate use of suspension and expulsion. This analysis assessed parish-level associations between racial disparities in school discipline and implicit racial biases. Methods: Investigators examined disparities in the proportion of Black students experiencing a school discipline outcome relative to White peers from all parishes (N=64) over four years. Implicit bias measures were derived from scores on the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which estimates a participant’s implicit associations between race categories and positive or negative feelings. IAT test date was used to stratify results by school year. The analysis included 10,652 IAT scores. Multilevel regression modeling examined parish-level differences in school discipline outcomes as associated with IAT data. Results: Results show that implicit biases are significantly associated with racial disparities in the use of in-school suspension. Conclusion: Unconscious bias may affect school discipline decisions, suggesting the need for multi-tiered intervention.
Recommended Citation
Thomas, Casey L.; Beiter, Kaylin; Fenton, Ashley; and Phillippi, Stephen, "High Incidence and Racially Disparate Use of Discipline in Louisiana Public Schools Associated with Regional Estimates of Implicit Bias" (2024). School of Public Health Delta Omega Honors Day Poster Sessions. 18.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/dohd/2021/2021/18
High Incidence and Racially Disparate Use of Discipline in Louisiana Public Schools Associated with Regional Estimates of Implicit Bias
Background: In Louisiana schools, there is high incidence and racially disparate use of suspension and expulsion. This analysis assessed parish-level associations between racial disparities in school discipline and implicit racial biases. Methods: Investigators examined disparities in the proportion of Black students experiencing a school discipline outcome relative to White peers from all parishes (N=64) over four years. Implicit bias measures were derived from scores on the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which estimates a participant’s implicit associations between race categories and positive or negative feelings. IAT test date was used to stratify results by school year. The analysis included 10,652 IAT scores. Multilevel regression modeling examined parish-level differences in school discipline outcomes as associated with IAT data. Results: Results show that implicit biases are significantly associated with racial disparities in the use of in-school suspension. Conclusion: Unconscious bias may affect school discipline decisions, suggesting the need for multi-tiered intervention.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/dohd/2021/2021/18