M. ELENA DELAVEGA, PH.D., MSW&

SHARON L. WROBEL, PH.D.UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS

Memphis School Blues: Poverty and Lack of Access to Good Schools

CIEP 2018March 22, 2018Villarrica, Chile

● There is a body of research indicating that African American youth are punished and disciplined in greater numbers and with greater severity (Gregory, Dewey, & Fan, 2011; Lewis et al., 2010; Wallace et al., 2008). African American and Hispanic children are viewed with suspicion and seldom given the benefit of the doubt White students enjoy (Winn & Behizadeh, 2011).

● Consistent with Bourdieu’s view, education is an essential element in the reproduction of social and economic class (Aizura 2006; Bourdieu, 1977, 1986), with the children of the educated class attending “better” schools. As a result, poor and minority children that are funneled through troubled schools tend to have fewer opportunities in life.

● Given the importance of education in breaking the cycle of poverty (NCCP, 2007; UNESCO, 2005), school performance and outcomes, particularly in poor and minority neighborhoods, has important implications for the future of the city and for the future of those children.

● There has been considerable attention paid to what has been termed the School-to-Prison Pipeline. The most severe of these actions, suspension, expulsion, and remanding to alternative learning centers, associated with negative student outcomes. (Mendez & Knoff, 2003).

● These negative student outcomes, in turn are associated with higher incarceration rates (Lochner & Moretti, 2002).

● While increasingly punitive discipline policies are seen as necessary for a safe and healthy learning environment, there is a body of research indicating that the incidence and severity of school disciplinary actions differ between racial/ethnic and economic groups (Gregory, Dewey, & Fan, 2011: Lewis, et al., 2010; Wallace et al., 2008).

● School resources are also very different

● We attempt to answer the following questions:● — Is the differential enforcement of zero tolerance

policies in the Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools:

● — Racially based?● — Based on poverty status?● — Evident in the “look” of the school?

● Using data from 228 Memphis City School District, we test the correlation between race/ethnicity, economic status, and the incidence and severity of school disciplinary actions. From these findings, we make recommendations for fair and appropriate school discipline policies.

POVERTY AND RACIAL DIFFERENCES

Understanding Memphis

Diverse Poverty Rates in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, and the United States

Percent of the Population under Poverty

Poverty Rates in 2014 and 2015 in Memphis and Shelby County

The Poverty Intersection of Race and Age: Shelby County and Memphis

The Poverty Intersection of Race and Age: Shelby County and Memphis

Memphis Poverty

Disparities in Punishment

2013 Tennessee Department of Education Report Card

Tennessee Number

Tennessee Percent

Shelby County Schools Number

Shelby County Schools Percent

Memphis City Schools Number

Memphis City Schools Percent

Teachers 65105 2673 7546 Administrators 4957 169 577 Students 993256 100.0% 46601 100.0% 106991 100.0%Caucasian Students 658229 66.3% 23555 50.5% 7620 7.1%African American Students 239345 24.1% 17737 38.1% 87397 81.7%Hispanic Students 72363 7.3% 2500 5.4% 10269 9.6%English Learner Students 43069 4.3% 1517 3.3% 8148 7.6%Economically Disadvantaged Students 576435 58.0% 17152 36.8% 88457 82.7%

Students with Diagnosed Disabilities 135923 13.7% 5712 12.3% 13439 12.6%

Total Expenditures 8,948,633,000

Per Pupil Expenditure Calculated 9,009 Per Pupil Expenditure Reported 9293 9123 11570 Graduation Rate 86.3 88 67.6 Cohort Dropout Rate 7.3 5.5 17.9 Overall Suspension 74802 7.5% 3423 7.3% 24616 23.0%Overall Expulsion 5696 0.6% 72 0.2% 4093 3.8%Caucasian Suspension 25303 3.8% 878 3.7% 516 6.8%Caucasian Expulsion 665 0.1% 12 0.1% 67 0.9%African American Suspension 45005 18.8% 2395 13.5% 23041 26.4%African American Expulsion 4747 2.0% 58 0.3% 3913 4.5%Hispanic Suspension 3854 5.3% 92 3.7% 968 9.4%Hispanic Expulsion 237 0.3% 0 0.0% 10 0.1%Student/Teacher Ratio 15.3 17.4 14.2 Suspension to Expulsion Ratio 13.1 47.5 6.0 C Suspension to Expulsion Ratio 38.0 73.2 7.7

AA Suspension to Expulsion Ratio 9.5 41.3 5.9

H Suspension to Expulsion Ratio 16.3 96.8

Punishing Black Students

Shelby CountyResults

Odds ratio 4.031995 % CI: 3.7220 to 4.3677

z statistic 34.161Significance level P < 0.0001

Punishing Black Students

Memphis City SchoolsResults

Odds ratio 4.9291

95 % CI: 4.5020 to 5.3966

z statistic 34.501

Significance level P < 0.0001

Suspension and Expulsion Rates

● Throughout Tennessee, African American students were more likely than white students to be○ Suspended (18.8%/3.8%) and expelled (2.0%/0.1%).○ MCS – 23.0% of all students and 26.4% of the African

American students were suspended, and• 3.8% of all students and 4.5% of the African American students

were expelled.○ SCS – 7.3% of all students and 13.5% of the African American

students were suspended, and• 0.2% of all students and 0.3% of African American students were

expelled.

Quality Education?

● MCS offered an average of 130 high quality classes per school, a ratio of 4.8 students per high quality class.

● SCS offered twice as many, 251, a ratio of 3.7 students per high quality class.

● White schools have more quality classes

QUITE LITERALLY!

THE DISPARITIES CAN BE SEEN

Melrose High School

• 99.3% American American

• 0.5% Hispanic • 0.1% Multiracial • 91% Free of Reduced

Lunch

Raleigh Egypt High School

• 1.1% White • 89.3% African

American • 8.6% Hispanic • 0.1% Asian • 87% Free or

Reduced Lunch

Collierville High School

• 75% White • 13% African American • 4% Asian • 4% Hispanic • 13% Free or Reduced Lunch • High School began a 94

Million Dollar renovation to the school

Houston High School

• 66.6% White • 18.9% African

American • 9.5% Asian • 3.3% Hispanic • 13% Free or

Reduced Lunch

Implications

● The implication of this disparity is that minority and economically disadvantaged students are at greater risk for school failure and entering the correctional system.

Recommendations

● Fair expenditures per school● Equitable funding● Honest assessment of school environment● Examination of punishment ● Strict rubric for the imposition of punishment● Training to address racial bias