Leadership Practices That Support Marginalized Students

Abstract

Traditionally, schools have suspended students of color at significantly higher rates than White students. Culturally responsive classroom practices have been found to reduce these disparities. This exploratory case study examined whether or not teachers with low discipline referrals for African American and Hispanic/Latinx students from a midsized urban Massachusetts district report using culturally responsive discipline practices, and how their principal fosters these practices. It was part of a larger group study that examined how school and district leaders support marginalized students. Data was collected over a four-month period using semi-structured interviews with two principals and nine teachers in two schools. Interview questions were based on the Double-Check Framework (Hershfeldt etl al., 2009) which identifies culturally responsive discipline practices. Data showed that teachers with low office discipline referrals might embrace culturally responsive practices, at least to a limited degree. Additionally, while principals reported that they provided culturally responsive professional learning activities for teachers, teachers interviewed did not attribute their practices to these efforts. Results suggest that school leaders should cultivate positive relationships between students and staff to reduce discipline disparities.