African American students in South punished at much higher rates than other students, study says

African American students in grades K-12 in the South are punished at much higher rates than other students, says a report released this week by the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education. The study, which looked at 3,022 school districts in 13 states— Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia—found that African American students were suspended or expelled at rates well above their representation in the student population. The study includes results from every district.

While African American students made up 24 percent of the population in the study area, they represented 48 percent of students suspended and 49 percent of students expelled. In Mississippi, 74 percent of suspensions involved African Americans students, and in Mississippi and Louisiana, 72 percent of expelled students were African American.

In 132 districts, African Americans were suspended at a rate five times higher than their representation in the student population, and in 77 districts African Americans were expelled at a rate five times higher than their representation in the student population.

In the South, African American boys represented 47 percent of suspensions, compared to 35 percent nationally, and 44 percent of expulsions, compared to 34 percent nationally. African Americans girls represented 56 percent of suspensions in the South, compared to 45 percent nationally, and 45 percent of expulsions, compared to 42 percent nationally.