DisCrit Theory Applied to Clinical Supervision for Minoritized Students With Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Concerns

Racial disproportionality in school responses to student behavior is well established in the literature. Addressing this persistent problem requires a critical analysis of the systems and structures that act to maintain and bolster the mechanisms underlying racial disproportionality in school responses to student behavior. Supervision of school psychology students addressing school behavioral data and referrals is one place where we can begin identifying and combating these mechanisms. This chapter uses DisCrit Theory as a lens through which to examine the school-based process of identifying and responding to student behavior including student social, emotional, and behavioral struggles. Specifically, we will review the research that addresses these issues in relation to racially minoritized student populations. We will use DisCrit Theory to provide concrete suggestions for guiding clinical supervision practices in school psychology when working with students whose primary referral is for social, emotional, and behavioral concerns.