<p> According to the disciplinary section of State of Ohio Department of Education&rsquo;s annual Ohio State Report Card (OSRC), African-American students have continuously led the student population in exclusions (suspensions and expulsions), particularly regarding ambiguous, subjective offenses. The disproportionate exclusion of these students has been an obstacle to receiving valuable education time, and opportunities to learn to navigate and thrive within the educational system. The over-exclusion of these students has also created a population of youth with decreased psychological, emotional, and community supports. The purpose of this study was to examine trends of school disciplinary exclusions following a state-wide change in the behavioral system used to discipline students (shifting from Zero Tolerance policies [ZT] to Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports [PBIS]). A cross-sequential study design was used to evaluate secondary data from the OSRC. Implementing PBIS produced a trend of lowered exclusions for African-American students, but no statistically significant differences were found. Statistically significant differences were discovered when examining the rates of the overall (total) exclusions and objective exclusions for Caucasian students. A trend of lowered rates, but no statistically significant differences were found for students with additional risk factors (disability status, male sex, low Socioeconomic Status [SES] and poor academic performance) for exclusion. A correlation analysis identified that both African-American and Caucasian students who were identified as low SES tended to be associated with more risk factors; thus, a stronger likelihood of being excluded.</p><p>

<p> This study examined the relationships between internalized racism, perceived minority status, code-switching and three types of organizational commitment of African Americans. Overall, internalized racism and code-switching were related to less positive forms of organizational commitment. The perception of minority status was not related to affective or continuance commitment, but was strongly related to code-switching.</p>

<p> The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported workforce disparities in the representation of minority ethnic groups in leadership positions for more than 5 decades. In 2011, Executive Order 13583 initiated the Government-wide Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, directing federal agencies to recruit a diverse workforce, cultivate inclusion across occupations, and develop strategies to enable leading a diverse workforce. This plan is important considering other research studies show various approaches to understanding leadership behaviors; however, empirical studies have yet to explore if there is a relationship between ethnic identity and leadership style to inform diversity and inclusion efforts. The purpose of this nonexperimental, cross-sectional, correlational study was to examine the relationship between leadership style and ethnic identity through the nigrescence model pertaining to Black identity theory. The research questions in this study explored predictive relationships between leadership style and ethnic identity in the context of gender and age. Study participants were 185 African American leaders randomly selected from 9 organizations in the federal government, historically Black colleges and universities, and private companies. Data were collected through the Cross Racial Identity Scale, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, and demographic surveys. Results of multiple regression analyses and multivariate analyses revealed significant predictive relationships amongst leadership style (transformational, transactional), ethnic identity, gender, and age (Millennial, Generation X, Baby Boomers). The increased understanding that diverse leadership styles exist across ethnic groups, gender, and generation could help to improve leader-follower relationships and promote positive social change that enables diversity and inclusion in the workplace.</p><p>

<p> African American men have been incarcerated at unprecedented rates in the United States over the past 30 years. This study explored how African American females experience adverse psychosocial responses to separation from an incarcerated mate. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory (GT) study was to construct a theory to explain their responses to separation and loss. Given the paucity of literature on this topic, helping professionals may not understand this problem or know how to support these women. Disenfranchised grief and the dual process model of bereavement were used as a theoretical lens for this study. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews conducted with 20 African American women over the age of 18, from the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, and who had incarcerated mates. Systematic data analysis revealed that women in the sample experienced grief similar to losing a loved one through death. They also were found to engage in prolonged states of social isolation, emulating their mate's state of incarceration. As a result of this study, a grounded theory of symbolic imprisonment, grief, and coping (SIG-C) was developed to answer this study's research questions and explain how loss occurs on psychological, social, symbolic, and physical levels. The findings from this study may promote positive social change by informing the human services research community of SIG-C and assisting helping professionals with a basis for context-specific support for affected women to contribute to their well-being during their mate's incarceration.</p>