Richard Welsh
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Vanderbilt professor’s research guides school leaders to reform discipline practices
By Jenna Somers Richard Welsh Suspended FuturesTransforming Racial Inequities in School Disciplineby Richard O. Welsh Racial disparities in school discipline can arise based on how educators perceive and respond to student behaviors, according to research by Richard Welsh, associate professor of education and public policy at… Read MoreJun 16, 2025
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To improve school climate and discipline, teacher diversity and experience matter
Two recent studies by researchers at Vanderbilt University and New York University offer valuable insights for practitioners, policymakers and researchers seeking to address persistent racial inequities in school discipline. The studies examined teacher and student perceptions of... Read MoreJan 29, 2025
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Welsh leads equity-centered research practice partnership to reduce racial disparities in school discipline
By Jenna Somers Richard Welsh Last year, Richard Welsh, founding director of the School Discipline Lab, reported findings on the persistence of racial disparities in exclusionary school discipline practices. Despite suspensions declining over the past decade as schools reformed their policies, exclusionary disciplinary rates remained higher for… Read MoreMay 13, 2024
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Welsh’s study reveals the importance of parental trust in schools for reducing exclusionary discipline
By Jenna Somers When a teacher refers a student to the principal’s office or a principal suspends a student, parents might first receive a phone call and then have a conference with administrators and teachers. But what role do prior interactions and the relationships between families and school personnel… Read MoreFeb 12, 2024
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Welsh’s essay emphasizes need for antiblackness framework to reduce inequality in school discipline
By Jenna Somers Richard Welsh According to an essay published in Educational Researcher, a decade of colorblind school discipline policy reforms have not disproportionally benefited Black students who remain the most often disciplined in schools and miss valuable classroom learning time. Given that fact, the authors say interventions directly… Read MoreDec 4, 2023
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New Vanderbilt Peabody College faculty Thomas Smith and Richard Welsh address school equity issues
Professor of Public Policy and Education Thomas Smith and Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy Richard O. Welsh joined the Department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development this fall. Read MoreOct 4, 2022