Education Policy and Disparities
Research on educational inequality generates essential evidence to inform policies and interventions that reduce achievement gaps and support the success of all students, particularly those affected by systemic barriers. EDSI advances this agenda in two areas: school discipline and student absenteeism.
We analyze novel disciplinary referral data to investigate racial disparities in exclusionary discipline, which disproportionately affects students of color and contributes to adverse academic and social outcomes. This research aims to identify systemic patterns and inform more equitable and effective disciplinary policies.
Student attendance continues to pose significant challenges, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research develops an equity-focused framework for measuring student absenteeism and examines the extent of racial disparities in student attendance patterns.
EDSI’s projects encompass other policy issues, including the distribution of substitute teaching coverage across schools and using machine learning to forecast school closures and high school dropout.