Richard Welsh, an associate professor of education and public policy at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, has embarked on a groundbreaking three-year project to address the persistent racial disparities in exclusionary school discipline practices. In collaboration with a school district in Georgia, Welsh aims to crack the code on resolving racial inequities in school discipline policies and practices by leveraging an existing research-practice partnership.
The project, supported by a $474,178 grant from the William T. Grant Foundation and a $125,000 grant from the American Institutes of Research Equity Initiative, seeks to understand the role of race and power in equity-centered research-practice partnerships and how the dynamics of the partnership affect partnership activities. Furthermore, the project will investigate how these activities influence research use by school administrators, district leaders, and school board members, who are key decision-makers in advancing racial equity in school districts through policies, programs, and personnel.
Welsh emphasizes the importance of these decision-makers, stating, "They make decisions about codes of conduct, which disciplinary programs to implement, and who to hire, including behavioral specialists to support students' social-emotional development." By improving the use of research evidence among education leaders via equity-centered research-practice partnerships, Welsh believes that disruptive decisions necessary to address persistent racial inequities in school discipline can be made.
The research team will employ a comprehensive approach to data collection and analysis, including interviews with key decision-makers, research-practice partnership primary investigators, and co-design team members. They will also observe school board meetings, school discipline committee meetings, and partnership meetings, as well as co-design workshops, district- and school-level documents, and materials to record the partnering process, the use of research evidence, and disruptive decision-making.
The co-design process is a crucial component of the project, involving a team of school leaders and school personnel at three middle schools working together to analyze and reimagine their in-school suspension process and infrastructure. By engaging in cycles of disciplined inquiry to improve ISS processes, the partnership aims to reach its goal of improving youth outcomes.
Welsh's previous research has highlighted the persistence of racial disparities in exclusionary school discipline practices, despite suspensions declining over the past decade as schools reformed their policies. Across the South, in-school suspensions are particularly prevalent and disruptive to the education of racially minoritized students. This project aims to address these disparities head-on by turning the analytical lens on the partnership itself to examine how inequities might manifest and the implications for partnership and student outcomes.
The project's focus on equity-centered research-practice partnerships and the use of research evidence by key decision-makers in school districts has the potential to drive meaningful change in school discipline policies and practices. By engaging in a collaborative, equity-driven approach, Welsh and his partners in the Georgia school district are working towards a future where racial disparities in school discipline are effectively addressed, leading to improved outcomes for all students.
