Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Perception and Experience with Zero-Tolerance Policies and Interventions to Address Racial Inequality
School staff already own ABA alternatives to suspension—train them to use these tools on purpose to close racial discipline gaps.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Henry et al. (2022) asked school staff how they feel about zero-tolerance rules.
They sent a survey to teachers, aides, and principals in public schools.
The team wanted to know who still backs suspension and who is ready to try ABA instead.
What they found
Most staff want to drop zero-tolerance.
They already know ABA tools like praise, choice, and precorrection.
Yet they freeze when the student is Black; they fear looking biased so they still suspend.
How this fits with other research
Pulos et al. (2024) asked teachers about all evidence-based practices and got the same answer: staff know the tools but feel under-trained. Henry’s paper zooms in on one place that gap hurts most—discipline that pushes Black kids out.
Luna et al. (2022) show the same anti-coercion plan can work inside a locked juvenile hall. Their story proves the switch is doable after the pipeline has already sucked youth in.
Konstantinidou et al. (2023) reviewed staff PBS training studies and found most only change adult behavior, not student lives. Henry’s survey hints why: adults need coaching on when and how to use the tools fairly, not just what the tools are.
Why it matters
You already have the skills to cut suspensions. Henry shows the barrier is not knowledge—it is confidence to act against racial bias. Start small: pick one Black student at risk for suspension, write a behavior plan full of praise and choice, and track office referrals for two weeks. Share the data with staff to prove ABA beats zero-tolerance without blame.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study expands the current research on anti-Black racism and student discipline in schools. It examines perception, experiences, and alternatives of zero-tolerance policies in education, in relation to the call for action by Black Lives Matter at Schools. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students are affected at a disproportionate rate when it comes to school discipline, leading to high, inequitable incarceration rates. However, behavior analysis already has powerful tools and interventions that can stop this “school-to-prison pipeline” effect. A survey of school professionals investigated awareness of adverse outcomes from zero-tolerance policies and the use of effective, behavioral alternatives to exclusionary disciplinary practices. Results confirmed zero-tolerance policies still exist in North American schools, but that school professionals, including behavior analysts, support Black Lives Matter at School’s call to end such practices. It is important to note that participants report already having the necessary skills to combat zero-tolerance; however, many still feel uncomfortable or ill-prepared to implement interventions specifically intended to decrease anti-Black racism in schools.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s40617-021-00634-z