37th Annual Student Research Conference
Systemic Processes of Regulation Influencing the US Education System: Hindering Outcomes for Low-Income Students and Students of Color
Lauri T. Klump
Dr. Victoria L. Mayer ([Retired from Truman in May 2023] ) and Dr. Anton Daughters, Faculty Mentors
Educational attainment is a mechanism for upward social and economic mobility in society. Higher levels of educational achievement are positively associated with higher-paying careers and more opportunities. However, research has shown that minority students face additional inequities and barriers in their education. In this research, taking into account the history of American discrimination, I address the following question: How has the historical legacy of legal discrimination impacted how schools have responded to formally neutral neoliberal state and federal regulations and laws? To do this, district handbooks and comprehensive school improvement plans (CSIPs) were qualitatively coded for numerous variables and analyzed for evidence of neoliberalism within school policies and practices. The results of this data collection and analysis indicate evidence of neoliberal values, significant variation across geographic areas, and a possible correlation between policies and disciplinary outcomes.
Keywords: education system , marginalized students , neoliberalism , inequality , school-to-prison pipeline, sociology , criminal justice system , mixed-methods
Topic(s):Education
Sociology
Justice Systems
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 104-2
Location: SUB Georgian Room C
Time: 9:30