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<p>This study explores connections between school discipline policies and educational inequality by examining the implementation of “Progressive Discipline” (PD) in an Ontario school board. By using positive reinforcements, preventions, and early and ongoing interventions, PD has replaced more punitive “zero tolerance” approaches as the official approach to student discipline in provincial public schools. This study poses two broad research questions that are guided by prominent theories of school organization and family-school relations: i) Given prevailing schooling practices, how is PD actually implemented, ii) can PD compensate for student inequalities in exposure to cultural orientations demanded by schools. To address these questions, this study draws on 36 qualitative interviews with key actors in several schools, and has two key findings. First, despite the official shift from zero tolerance to PD, student discipline continues to be managed by schools and individual school-based actors along a continuum, with some becoming more progressive, while others remaining more punitive. Thus, this policy evolution has involved a shift from a tighter to a more “loosely coupled” form of organization. But despite this variation, school-based actors are gradually embracing PD, since more progressive perspectives on student discipline appear to resonate with many educators and administrators. Second, the shift to PD is creating new forms of cultural practices in schools, and these practices are generating considerable variations in the outcomes of discipline processes. Building on these findings, this study concludes that progressive discipline policy has the potential to serve as a mechanism of “cultural mobility” and partially compensate for students’ unequal exposure to the values, behaviours and skill sets that are needed to comply with schools’ standards of behaviour.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

This qualitative case study examined the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program in a high-achieving, suburban high school using the foundation of social capital theory. The researcher investigated how students' participation in AVID, specifically their relationships with their AVID teacher and other AVID students, affected their behaviors and achievement in high school along with their plans for attending a post-secondary institution. Five years ago, Bill Gates called America's high schools "obsolete," and, more recently, he testified before the Congress that "every student in America should graduate from high school ready for college, career, and life. "Every child," Gates stated, "no exceptions" (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2007). This notion of preparing every child in America and overcoming their demographics, family backgrounds, and economic hardships is continuing to burden America's public high schools. In this era of accountability, high schools are faced with the monumental undertaking of graduating all of its students and preparing them for post-secondary success while at the same time meeting the requirements set forth by the federal mandate No Child Left Behind (NCLB. To achieve both of these lofty goals, high schools must provide all of its students, especially those who are labeled at-risk, with an appropriate and rigorous instructional program coupled with effective safety nets and interventions designed to provide students with the support they need to be successful academically. Many schools, even those that are high-achieving and positioned in affluent, suburban communities, have pockets of students who are in need of additional support from the school setting in order to succeed. Nationwide, high schools are implementing various programs and intervention systems to enhance student achievement, improve graduation rates, and increase college enrollment. One program that has received recent attention and documented success in numerous high schools is the Advancement via Individual Determination program or AVID. AVID was created especially for students who have historically failed in the educational system by providing them with a core of academically challenging courses and a comprehensive support system at school. The primary data source for this qualitative study was semi-structured interviews with 12th grade AVID students. Additionally, the researcher observed the students on multiple occasions in their AVID class. These interviews and observations provided an in-depth look of the AVID program and how it has influenced the students' educational experiences during high school. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gather the perspective of the AVID program through the lens of the students who were part of the program. The goal was to investigate the AVID program with a focus on the students' acquisition of social capital in the school setting from adults and their peers. Recently, social capital is receiving educational policy attention relating to how it can be a collective resource that can facilitate the academic success of students in schools. This study analyzed the AVID program and the possibility of utilizing the ideas associated with social capital to improve educational outcomes in a high school setting. The qualitative nature of the study contributed to the body of literature about the AVID program by providing data directly from the students' perspectives and experiences. This case study was intended to provide insight to other school districts that are similar in makeup to the one that was studied. The outcome of this study, regarding the implementation of the AVID program in a high, achieving, suburban high school, can provide similar schools with information about a possible intervention program to improve the educational success of at-risk students who have historically failed in the school setting. / Educational Administration

This qualitative case study utilized interviews with community college students enrolled in at least one developmental course to describe how students accessed college information and used this information to solidify or adjust their educational aspirations. College information sources included relatives, friends, classmates, professors, advisors, and other college personnel. Bourdieu's cultural capital and Tinto's integration frameworks were used as guiding theories. This study utilized semi-structured interviews with 15 first-time, full-time, remedial students at a suburban community college in the northeastern United States. Interviews conducted in the fall and spring semesters explored students' perceptions of college information sources in order to gain insight into how students viewed information and its implications over time. This study identified four categories that broadly characterize students' information seeking and application behavior: students were classified as dreamers, drifters, passengers, or planners. Students classified as dreamers had difficulty aligning their career and educational goals. While college information was an issue for dreamers, they required more intensive guidance about their larger educational picture before information about intermediary steps would be meaningful for them. Drifters had informed educational goals, but possessed incomplete information or had difficulty applying strategies to reach these goals. Passengers and planners were well-informed and had specific strategies to accomplish their educational aspirations. Planners actively sought out information. Passengers benefited from a guide, such as a dedicated advisor or mentor, who helped them to interpret and apply the information. This study suggests that just presenting students with information is insufficient; to get students on surer footing, colleges should explore both decreasing the need for information in the first place and providing students assistance with applying information to their unique situations. / Educational Administration