In today’s educational landscape, Black girls encounter a troubling reality: they face disproportionate and harsher disciplinary measures compared to their peers of other races. Per a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), data reveals that Black girls face harsher overall discipline in public schools nationwide.
The report, commissioned by Democratic lawmakers including Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, examines disciplinary disparities and highlights alarming trends.
“This new report, it’s damning. It affirms what we’ve known all along that Black girls continue to face a crisis of criminalization in our schools,” Congresswoman Pressley said exclusively in an interview with NPR. “And the only way we can address this crisis is through intentional, trauma-informed policy. And Congress must act.”
During the 2017-18 school year, Black girls, who constitute only 15% of female students, accounted for nearly half of all exclusionary disciplinary actions, such as suspensions and expulsions. Specifically, they represented 45% of out-of-school suspensions, 37% of in-school suspensions, and 43% of expulsions for behaviors often categorized as “defiance” or “disruption.” Disturbingly, Black girls faced discipline at rates 3 to 5.2 times higher than those of white girls, and these rates increased for those with disabilities.
Congresswoman Pressley characterized the findings as a stark affirmation of the systemic criminalization faced by Black girls in schools. She advocates for trauma-informed policies to address these disparities. The report identifies several factors contributing to the increased discipline, including school poverty levels, the percentage of girls with disabilities, the presence of new teachers, and the presence of school resource officers. Additionally, biases such as adultification—where Black girls are perceived as older and more mature—exacerbate the issue.
“I hope that, because of these important findings, schools across the country and policymakers at every level of government examine the use of exclusionary discipline policies that are disproportionately harming Black girls,” Rosa L. DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said to NPR regarding the report findings.
The GAO’s report is a call to action for policymakers to reassess exclusionary discipline practices that disproportionately affect Black girls, including those who identify as LGBTQ. Pressley and DeLauro emphasize the urgent need for reforms that foster an equitable learning environment, as the current disciplinary trends severely impact the self-esteem and educational opportunities of these students.
