Elementary school discipline lowers students’ sense of belonging

This study examines the relationship between student discipline receipt and students' perceptions of school among elementary school students in a large urban school district. Using a quasi-experimental regression discontinuity in time design leveraging the timing of disciplinary incidents around a districtwide climate survey, we estimate the short-term impact of school discipline on student-reported sense of belonging at school. We show that students who were disciplined before they took a school climate survey reported a sense of belonging at school that was more than half a standard deviation lower than students who were disciplined after they took the survey. By contrast, there were no significant differences in students' knowledge and perception of rules. Our results suggest that even one instance of disciplinary action can erode young students’ sense of belonging in school, underscoring the developmental stakes of early disciplinary experiences and highlighting the need for improving elementary school discipline practices.