Selected for suspension : a holistic case study exploring factors contributing to the School-to-Prison Pipeline in Missouri.

The School-to-Prison Pipeline is the concept that exclusionary discipline increases the likelihood of students’ incarceration (Kim et al., 2010). Harsh discipline is still widely used today despite resulting in lower academic performance and higher incarceration rates (Musu-Gillette et al., 2018). The factors influencing the School-to-Prison Pipeline’s growth are complex and numerous, and this study attempted to identify the factors that former students considered most impactful.

This holistic case study examined the driving factors behind the School-to-Prison Pipeline from the perspective of four former students who experienced exclusionary discipline and were previously incarcerated. I used the Equity-Minded School Change framework to analyze the technical, normative, and political dimensions that participants perceived as impacting their evental incarceration. Qualitative questionnaire and semi-structured interviews provided rich data for analysis. Participants’ responses shed light on various issues that impacted their journey into the School-to-Prison Pipeline. The study revealed themes of equitability of discipline, shared respect, school resources, and disciplinary authority and its impact. This information is valuable to teachers, district and site administrators, school support staff, and school board members, as it provides insight into curbing the growth of the School-to-Prison Pipeline.

This study’s findings call for a re-evaluation of school discipline and suggests that positive behavior interventions and support could be more effective than harsh discipline if the school environment is supportive. The research provides compelling evidence that the School-to-Prison Pipeline is not merely a result of individual student behavior but a multifaceted issue that requires comprehensive solutions. This study is a call to action for key decision-makers to create an environment that helps all students succeed. Evidence collected from former students provides a clear description of the detrimental effects of harsh disciplinary methods. To disrupt the School-to-Prison Pipeline, schools must adopt more equitable and restorative approaches to discipline that recognize and address the diverse needs of students. The findings show that creating supportive, inclusive, and responsive schools that foster student success can play a fundamental role in breaking the cycle of the School-to-Prison Pipeline.