Missing Out: Kindergarten Teachers’ Reports of Soft Exclusionary Discipline Practices

Research Findings: Students perceived as struggling to regulate their emotions and behavior are at risk for experiencing classroom and school exclusion beginning in preschool. In this preliminary and exploratory secondary data analysis study, we examined teachers' self-reported use of classroom-based soft exclusionary discipline practices with kindergarten students whom they perceived as displaying the lowest self-regulation and social skills. In a sample of 2,053 teachers and 40,771 kindergarten students, teachers reported on their use of five soft exclusionary discipline practices and rated students' self-regulation and social skills in the fall of the kindergarten year. Teachers reported variability in their use of soft exclusionary discipline practices with some practices being used multiple times per day by some teachers. Most variability in the use of these practices was at the teacher (rather than the school or district) level. Teachers reported using certain soft exclusionary discipline practices (break outside classroom, losing free time, and limit talking) more frequently when the racial composition of students they rated as having the lowest self-regulation and social skills included more Black students. Practice or Policy: Findings highlight the importance of better understanding the range and types of exclusionary discipline practices used with young students, and which children are most likely to experience them.