Prestigious Grant Awarded To Dr. Oscar Barbarin

Barbarin Receives Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) grant to study racial disparities in School Discipline

The Department of African American Studies proudly announces that Professor Oscar Barbarin was named the winner of a grant by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This funded project addresses the racially disparate use of school suspensions and expulsion. It will support Professor Barabarin and his research team in examining longitudinal state and school district level data to document the extent of these disparities and identify policies and alternative practices that have successfully mitigated disparities and the reduced the use of exclusionary discipline.

In a collaboration with the HighScope Educational Research Foundation, technical assistance will be provided to school districts seeking to ban suspension and replace it with Socio-Emotional learning programs as an alternative.

“This is a critical social-policy issue that is a precursor to so many problems facing our nation such as academic achievement gaps, mass incarceration, and economic inequality,” Professor Barbarin said. “We will  generate empirical evidence that we hope will  guide us toward more effective  policies and identify efforts some school districts have employed to reduce racial disparities and implement alternatives to severe disciplining particularly of African American and LatinX boys.”

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supports research and programs targeting some of the United States' most pressing issues with special attention to creating a culture of health and well-being and promoting social equity and inclusion. 

Article courtesy of the Department of African American Studies posted on Sept. 22, 2021.

Published on Wed, Sep 22, 2021 - 1:10PM