“I Wouldn’t Really Call It a Suspension, But—It Could Be Called a Suspension”: Novel Forms of Discipline in Preschool

Exclusionary discipline is a key equity issue in early education. Increasingly, teachers and staff are legally prohibited from using exclusionary discipline. Anchored by a Foucauldian perspective on discipline and punishment in society, this mixed methods study investigates how teachers, leaders, and staff interpret challenging behaviors and use novel forms of discipline in preschools, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploratory factor analysis of survey data (n = 60) indicates underlying ideas of correction and treatment, and integrated interview analyses (n = 24) suggest a typology of novel forms of exclusion: disenrollment, early release, in-school, referral, and virtual measures. Implications for research, pedagogy, and early education equity are discussed.