UCLA

Recently, a great deal of attention has been paid to the disproportionate incarceration of people of color, and the role schools play in perpetuating this pattern. This phenomenon, known as “the school-to-prison pipeline,” is characterized by school actions and policies which significantly increase a student’s likelihood of becoming involved in the criminal justice system. Students of color, particularly African American males, are more likely to be referred for school discipline than their white and Asian peers. This has led to a significant decrease in these students’ edification and academic achievement opportunities. Research has explored how teacher bias toward, and perceptions of, students of color influence their use of discipline referrals. This research aimed to gain a deeper understanding of teacher’s use of discipline by investigating pre-service teachers’ beliefs about discipline and their control versus autonomous orientations in the classrooms, and how these factors impact the use of discipline referrals.