Ethnic Discipline Gap: Unseen Dimensions of Racial Disproportionality in School Discipline

Abstract

Research on the school discipline gap reveals growing awareness of the disproportionate impact on students of color; however, dynamics of the racial discipline gap remain underanalyzed. This article uses risk ratios to descriptively establish if ethnic disproportionality in school discipline is present among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) subgroups. We find that when AAPI data are disaggregated, significant variations in discipline patterns emerge. Pacific Islanders are nearly twice as likely as their White peers to be disciplined when separated from Asian Americans, and all Pacific Islander subgroups are at equal or higher risk for discipline. We also find a discipline gap between ethnic subgroups. Our findings affirm the need to further refine the analyses of race and school discipline.