Examining Racial Disparities in School Discipline Throughout the Pandemic

June 2025

This study explores trends and disparities in school discipline during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the persistence of racial gaps in exclusionary practices. Using student-level data from Arkansas from 2017/18 to 2022/23, we study how disciplinary outcomes relate to student race while controlling for factors such as the type and frequency of infractions, as well as the school level (elementary vs. secondary). Our findings show that while overall disciplinary incidents declined during the pandemic school closures, racial disparities in exclusionary discipline remained, with nonwhite students particularly affected. The analysis also reveals the role of district-level factors in these disparities, indicating systemic differences across school districts. By addressing gaps in discipline and pandemic research, this study emphasizes the importance of implementing equitable disciplinary policies in the post-pandemic education system.

Keywords

School discipline, COVID-19 Pandemic

Education level

K-12 Education

Topics

Student Learning