Intergroup Threat and Minority Student Suspension Risk: The Relation of School District Outcomes with Community Factors.

Students of color experience disproportionate risk of suspension due to racial-ethnic bias in school disciplinary decision making. The present study employees Partial Least Squares Path Modeling to investigate suspension disproportions through the lens of Integrated Threat Theory (ITT). The study finds significant mediation relations between community- and district-level indicative of inter-group threat. Results demonstrate the effects of community structure on school district disciplinary outcomes. Results also support the identification of school district structures with the ITT constructs of symbolic and realistic threat. Results are applied to identify opportunities for research, policy, and school social work practice.