School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent and community involvement in addressing school discipline policies and culturally sensitive approaches to reducing disparities in school discipline. My research examined how members of a parent community organization worked to raise parents' awareness about and engage them in school discipline reform, including culturally sensitive approaches. I developed a culturally centered research study that privileged my participants’ cultural and epistemological positions. The primary data sources were qualitative interviews and documents. A thematic analysis revealed that the participants’ cultural heritage formed the foundation for the organization’s work. Key organizational processes identified include raising awareness by learning new information, linking to community resources to engage in advocacy and build power, and leading parents through inquiry-based activism. Organizational learning and program adjustments showed promise of parents’ ability to influence local school district educational practices.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of independent study programs, as perceived by teachers and principals, upon student control in selected secondary schools. The specific intention of collecting this data was to provide educators with useful information to help formulate ideas relative to independent study programs and student control.After the review of related literature on independent study and student control in secondary schools, a teacher questionnaire and a principal interview guide were developed for four schools located in the Northeast and Upper Wabash Study Councils of Ball State University. Also, Burris Laboratory School of Ball State University was included in the research because of the extensive independent study program conducted there, One hundred and thirty teachers responded to the questionnaire and five principals were interviewed.The study was designed to obtain teacher-principal perception of factors which influence independent study and student control. The data were analyzed and conclusions drawn from these perceptions to show the effects independent study had on student control.The questionnaire instrument developed for this study included six major categories and thirty-five specific questions. The six categories for teacher perception consisted of the following: (1) unscheduled time, (2) self-discipline, (3) decision making, (4) attendance, (5) interest in school activities, and (6) respect for school. A final item allowed the respondents to answer' an open-ended question pertaining to personal observations.The principal interview guide included ten open-ended questions covering the following topics: (1) positive aspects of independent study, (2) negative aspects of independent study, (3) direct effects of independent study of student control, (4) personal feelings concerning independent study as it relates to student control, (5) student rejective behavior while pursuing independent study, (6) student aggressive behavior while pursuing independent study, (7) student withdrawal behavior while pursuing independent study, and (8) student evasive behavior while pursuing independent study.Major findings of the research included the following:1. Independent study programs were consistently perceived as having positively affected school attendance. General attendance was seen as good, while class cutting and truancy were indicated as being low.2. The teachers indicated that students spent too much time roaming and talking in the hallways and wasting time in the student lounge. Principals agreed that time was misused by pupils roaming the hallways and groups congregating during free time.3. The research data indicated that both teachers and principals perceived students to generally have poor selfdiscipline while participating in independent study. Peer group pressure was perceived to often cause student control problems and teachers believed more rules and regulations were needed for control purposes. Principals indicated poor selfdiscipline involved a minority of the students.4. The teachers and principals perceived students as often making unwise decisions while pursuing independent study. It is their judgment that the younger students and the less academically talented students were not responsible enough to make the personal decisions necessary in independent study.5. Teachers indicated that there was a tendency for student interest in subject matter to be high. Principals felt that student interest toward academic pursuits were greater under independent study programs.6. Teachers indicated a feeling that student disrespect for authority was high. Principals indicated a feeling that better relationships existed between students and school staff. Student fighting and incorrigibility were not perceived as problems, although there was an indication that some vandalism did occur during student independent study time.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Georgia Southern University, 2007. / "A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education." Education Administration, under the direction of Linda M. Arthur. ETD. Electronic version approved: December 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 68-75) and appendices.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Texas Christian University, 2009. / Title from dissertation title page (viewed Oct. 29, 2009). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1975. / Title from title page screen, viewed Nov. 12, 2004. Dissertation Committee: Ben C. Hubbard, Clayton F. Thomas, Clifford Edwards, Ronald Halinski, William Gnagey. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 90-94) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-143).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2009. / Principal faculty advisor: Aaron Kupchik, Dept. of Sociology. Includes bibliographical references.