Capstone 2019-2020

In 2018 as an intern for a middle school in the Seattle School District, I witnessed a
huge punishment gap amongst students. Of all suspensions, seventy-eight percent of
reported discipline were toward students of color and a majority of those were imposed on
black1 students. I realized then that this was and still is big problem. So, bringing awareness
and understanding to a system that disproportionately punishes students of color through
the zero tolerance policy as is, [does a great] disservice to these students, their community
and this country. However, studies have shown that school counsellors are instrumental in
helping break the cycle/ norms with penalties imposed on students of color, more
specifically black students.  
The focus of this essay is to identify three barriers that have adversely impacted the
school where I interned. Although I will address concerns regarding each barrier, it is
important to understand the impact each has had on black students’ experience. It is
evident that those responsible for the development of these students are not governed by
principles of equity or equality in relation to discipline, suspension, and expulsion rates,
especially in Public Schools. For example, studies have shown that the largest race impacted
by the zero-tolerance policy of 1994 has been black students resulting in them suffering at
an alarming rate. The loss of massive classroom instruction hours have both negatively
impacted their behaviour and ability to complete high school. Due to the zero tolerance
policy and lack of resources, many black students feel excluded from the educational
platform of success. Therefore, black students are left to find alternative means of education
which unfortunately can come from untraditional means such as the streets instead of from
the safety classrooms provide though public educations. In addition to exploring the affects
that the zero-tolerance policy has had on blacks students, I will also discuss their trajectory
as a result.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss how understanding and identifying barriers
students face is our responsibility as educators to ensure that students are provided
resources and equitable services. This will allow professionals, such as teachers and
counsellors, the opportunity to help students of color, more specifically black students, to
succeed instead of becoming the next victim of destructive policies. While working in
schools that have a high demographic of students of color, I noticed that there was always a
lack of equity regarding the discipline of students. The suspension and expulsion rates
compared to white students throughout the district were drastically and proportionally
different.
  Additionally, I will examine the disadvantages of black students and discuss how the
school to prison pipeline and school to confinement has impacted black students. Although
these two phrases may sound the same, they are not especially in relation to how they are
viewed, researched, and applied because they provide two separate paths. In other words,
they are different phrases with different pathway that have the same outcome.  The school
to prison pipeline and school to confinement pathways result in the loss of education which
limits their access to the American dream by crippling their ability function successful in
society. This must change.  
   

1
Term used is interchangeable with African-American and black-American.