Disinvited, Not Deterred: College Aspiration and College-Going Conversations Among High School Boys Who Have Been School Disciplined and School Policed

Objective: This study identifies college-aspiration and college-going conversation subgroups among 15-year-old high school boys (Black, Latino, White) who have been school disciplined and school policed. Methods: Data from 1,520 adolescent boys from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study were used to conduct a latent class analysis examining subgroup differences among Black (n = 803), Latino (n = 421), and White (n = 296) boys regarding their experiences with school discipline, school policing, college aspirations, and college-going conversations. Results: A four-class solution identified four distinct subgroups: (1) Surveilled but Supported, (2) Vicarious Policing, (3) The Criminalized, and (4) The Protected. Covariates included demographics and school connectedness. Auxiliary analyses included multiply imputed R3STEP covariate regression and BCHC sensitivity analysis confirming the primary indicator specification. Conclusion: Educational carcerality has an adverse impact on the college aspirations and college-going conversations among high school boys, especially Black boys. A multidimensional invitational education framework reveals that carceral school policies function as disinviting forces that undermine the college-going process for boys of color.