Arlington Schools Examine Disproportionate Disciplinary Data

ARLINGTON, MA — District officials will host a panel Wednesday, July 15 to discuss disproportions within the Arlington Public Schools' disciplinary data. The webinar will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. and include Superintendent Kathleen Bodie, Assistant Superintendent Roderick MacNeal Jr. and elementary, middle and high school principals. It will be moderated by Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator Jillian Harvey.

Administrators will present and analyze recent disciplinary data, identify steps to address issues of disproportionality and respond to questions from the community.

Data reviewed at the June 25 School Committee showed students of color have accounted for a disproportionately higher number of detentions than white students since 2017. At Arlington High School, where Black students make up about 4 percent of the population, Black students received 14.85 percent of detentions in 2017-18; 9.79 percent of detentions in 2018-19; and 17 percent of detentions in 2019-20.

Hispanic students, who make up 6 percent of the population at the high school, received 13.09 percent of detentions in 2017-18; 12.41 percent of detentions in 2018-19; and 12.25 percent of detentions in 2019-20.

White and Asian students tended to have a lower number of detentions in relation to their student populations.

Numbers at Ottoson Middle School also reflected a disproportionate number of detentions being given out to students of color. Staff underwent professional development on this subject, Principal Brian Meringer said at the meeting.

Arlington's schools have sought to address issues of disproporationality for many years. Superintendent Kathleen Bodie hit back against accusations that district leaders told a former employee not to closely scrutinize disciplinary data about students of color.

"The Arlington Public Schools have long battled the issue of disproportionality," Bodie said at the time. "We are unfortunately not alone in this. School districts around the nation and the Commonwealth have long sought ways to improve its disciplinary policies and the application of such policies so that they do not unfairly affect students of color."

Wednesday's meeting will take place virtually. To register in advance for this webinar visit the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webina...

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.