Abstract
A growing body of literature continues to highlight the host of negative student outcomes associated with exclusionary discipline practices. Race and gender disparities in school discipline have been documented for several decades, with Black students, students with disabilities, Latinx students, American Indian students, males, and LGBT students being disproportionately affected. These disparities are a social justice issue; and the consistency of these findings has propelled discipline reform to occur at the federal, state and district levels with an emphasis on fostering a supportive and equitable school climate. Despite calls for more equitable school discipline practices, school psychologist training and desire to address these areas is understudied. For the current project, researchers surveyed practicing school psychologists in the state of California about their attitudes, training, and current and desired involvement in various discipline-related interventions and activities, as well as their perceptions about the use of different discipline approaches in the schools they serve. Results indicate that study participants are rarely involved in key components of discipline reform, though they express an interest in greater involvement. Those who received formal training in alternative discipline approaches such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Support, social-emotional learning, and restorative justice practices were more likely to engage in discipline-related work. Barriers, including a lack of administrator support and the burden of too many other responsibilities, limit their further involvement. Implications for school psychology training programs are discussed.
