Black students received a higher rate of disciplinary actions than their white counterparts last school year in many Ohio school districts.

        The Ohio Department of Education released the discipline data Tuesday, the first time the state has released schools' disciplinary actions broken down by race and gender.

        Several Greater Cincinnati educators and school officials say the data does not imply racist behavior.

        “We do need to understand the data,” said Ohio Department of Education spokeswoman Patti Grey. “This begins a conversation that needs to happen.”

        Reporting disciplinary actions by race and gender is a new state requirement, signed into law in June. Districts also reported data for Asian, Hispanic, Native American and other ethnic groups.

        The data is organized by expulsions, out-of-school suspensions and other actions, including in-school suspensions and alternative discipline such as Saturday school.

        Disciplinary action includes that taken for lesser offenses such as truancy, as well as major offenses such as bringing a weapon to school.

        Educators and state officials caution that the data may be difficult to compare district-to-district because schools' discipline policies vary. But they say districts can use the information to understand trends within their districts.

        Many also say their discipline policies are fair despite the apparent result that black students often receive higher rates of discipline than white students.

        In Finneytown, district schools reported 18 disciplinary actions for every 100 white students and nearly 66 disciplinary actions for every 100 black students.

        “We deal with behavior and incidents that happen and react to those as a school as a whole — not whether a kid is white or black,” said Keith Klinefelter, principal of Finneytown High School. “But I'm kind of shocked at the difference myself.”

        Mr. Klinefelter said his school tries to limit out-of-school suspensions by holding Friday evening detention from 4 to 8 p.m. However, some offenses such as fighting merit automatic five-day suspensions.

        In Princeton schools, about 26 disciplinary actions were handed out for every 100 white students, while more than 130 were given out for every 100 black students.

        Superintendent Don Darby said compiling the data is a good move. The next step is to figure out what it means, Mr. Darby said, adding that he doesn't think the discipline given in his district was unfair.

        Educators need to examine why students misbehave, he said.

        “When we talk about discipline, we have to address the issue of poverty,” Mr. Darby said. “I would also say there are cultural issues we are not addressing as fully as we should.”

        David Query, Kings local schools superintendent, said he was glad to see white and black students receive close to the same rate of disciplinary actions in his district.

        “We don't treat any student differently than any other,” he said. “And we have a pretty good student body.”

        The rates of disciplinary actions at his Warren County district were low, with 6.5 per 100 white students and 4.6 per 100 black students.

        Cincinnati Public Schools doled out just over 60 disciplinary actions for every 100 white students and more than 140 for every 100 black students.

        CPS has a team of parents, teachers and administrators who review the district's discipline policy every year to ensure fairness, said spokeswoman Jan Leslie.

        “We must maintain safe classrooms.,” she said. “Our disciplinary code is a fair one, and we work hard to ensure due process for students.” State official stressed that fewer than 20 percent of Ohio students received any discipline. Of those:

        • 54 percent were for behavior problems.

        • 29 percent were for truancy, vandalism, theft, fighting or violence.

        • 4 percent resulted from possession, sale or use of tobacco, alcohol or other drugs.

        • 1 percent were for the most serious offenses, such as possessing a gun, other weapon or incendiary device.

        • 12 percent were for offenses classified by the school as other offenses.

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