As a result of zero tolerance policies, a significant percentage of students who experience exclusions from schools also experience negative outcomes such as high dropout rates, academic failures, and encounters with juvenile justice agencies. While several researchers have found a relationship between unintended consequences of exclusions and juvenile delinquency, few have examined this phenomenon from the perspectives of juveniles who experienced exclusions. Guided by the framework of operant conditioning, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how students experienced exclusions from school. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants who experienced both exclusions from schools and involvement with juvenile delinquency. Of the 30 potential participants who initially agreed to participate in the study, 26 actually participated. Data collection and analysis included capturing and grouping emerging themes and patterns from face-to-face interviews and observations that revealed the essence of how juveniles experienced exclusions from schools. According to participants, failure on the part of administrators to listen to their accounts of events that led to referrals for disciplinary action resulted in avoidable suspensions. Participants' narratives further highlighted the prevalence of disruptive behavior in schools throughout the United States. School administrators and policy makers should not only use data from this qualitative study to inform disciplinary policies and practices, but they should also consider input from students and other community stakeholders who are impacted by those decisions. These findings will promote the understanding that effective disciplinary practices are needed to meet the educational needs of all students. Even participants in this study were concerned about the impact that suspensions had on their education.

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Disproportionality in public school exclusionary discipline data has been documented throughout the United States, including the Commonwealth of Virginia. The literature reviewed indicates that Black male students are disproportionately excluded from school and that subjective office discipline referrals are a factor. Within subjective referrals, disruptive behaviors are the primary reasons for the referral of Black male students. The literature has investigated implicit bias as a possible cause and found that Black males were viewed as more aggressive and academically lower achieving than other subgroups. This study sought to investigate disproportionality in referrals for disruptive behavior and the possible relationships among race, gender, and academic achievement for students issued the referrals. Three years of enrollment, discipline, and academic achievement data for students in grades 3 through 8 were obtained from three Title I schools, two elementary schools and a middle school, in a high-poverty school division. A correlational, nonexperimental design was used to address two questions, was there evidence of disproportionality by race/ethnicity and/or gender in office discipline referrals for disruptive behavior? Was there a relationship among race, gender, and academic achievement for students issued those referrals? Two phases of data collection and analysis were involved, with descriptive statistics used for each phase. Results were analyzed and there were four findings: there was evidence of disproportionality by race/ethnicity, there was evidence of disproportionality by gender, there was not consistent evidence of disproportionality by race/ethnicity and gender, and there were no statistically significant relationships among race, gender, and academic achievement for students issued a referral. These findings could help researchers and educators identify and understand disproportionality in referrals for disruptive behaviors and address disproportionality in exclusionary disciplinary practices. / Doctor of Education / Disproportionality in public school exclusionary discipline data has been documented throughout the United States, including the Commonwealth of Virginia. The literature reviewed indicates that Black male students are disproportionately excluded from school and that subjective office discipline referrals are a factor. Within subjective referrals, disruptive behaviors are the primary reasons for the referral of Black male students. The literature has investigated implicit bias as a possible cause and found that Black males were viewed as more aggressive and academically lower achieving than other subgroups. This study investigated disproportionality in office discipline referrals for disruptive behavior and the relationships among the variables of race, gender, and academic achievement. A correlational, nonexperimental design was used to address two questions, was there evidence of disproportionality by race/ethnicity and/or gender in office discipline referrals for disruptive behavior? Was there a relationship among race/ethnicity, gender, and academic achievement for students issued those referrals? Three years of enrollment, discipline, and academic achievement data for students in grades 3 through 8 were obtained from three Title I schools, two elementary schools and a middle school, in a high-poverty school division. Results were analyzed and there were four findings: there was evidence of disproportionality by race/ethnicity, there was evidence of disproportionality by gender, there was not consistent evidence of disproportionality by race/ethnicity and gender, and there were no statistically significant relationships among race, gender, and academic achievement for students issued a referral.

Assistance to young, single, African American mothers requires adaptation to their environmental stressors along with reliance on social support. Further information is necessary for developing and supporting an appropriate model for delivery of that assistance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine potential correlations between general social support and parenting skills and disciplinary practices amongst low-income, African American single mothers. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory model supported this study to further develop an accurate perspective of African American families to inform more effective approaches to parenting. The participants for this correlational research design study were 78 mothers who had preschool age children, between the ages of 2 and 5. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Parents' Child-Rearing Behavior Interview Questionnaire, and the Attitudes Toward Spanking Children Questionnaire were used to measure the variables under study. Ordinal regression was used to examine the correlations between social support, parenting skills, and disciplinary practices. A significant interaction between social support, parenting skills, and disciplinary practices was not found with the tools used in this study; however, there was only a relationship determined between general social support and disciplinary practices. The knowledge gained from this study can be useful to researchers and practitioners in developing culturally appropriate parenting support and education, positively impacting the delivery of parenting by single, urban, African American mothers.

Les agents des services correctionnels sont appelés à travailler et à intervenir quotidiennement auprès des individus incarcérés et se trouvent au cœur du fonctionnement des établissements de détention provinciaux du Québec. Leurs pratiques disciplinaires envers les individus incarcérés étaient auparavant considérées comme arbitraires et prenaient place dans un milieu défini comme autonome, autosuffisant, fermé sur l’extérieur et ne nécessitant pas le support de la société (Goffman, 1961). Les dernières décennies ont apporté de nombreux changements, tels la reconnaissance des droits des individus incarcérés, l’ouverture du milieu carcéral sur la société ou encore la normalisation des conditions de détention. A ceux-ci se sont ajoutés la Loi sur le système correctionnel du Québec et son Règlement d’application qui vient régir le processus disciplinaire. L’objet de cette recherche vise la compréhension des pratiques des agents correctionnels en matière de poursuites disciplinaires suite à ces changements. Cette étude vise également à comprendre les éléments venant influencer la décision, par un agent correctionnel, de dresser un rapport disciplinaire. Nos résultats se divisent en deux volets. Le premier suggère que le droit disciplinaire est une question d’équilibre carcéral. Les agents correctionnels, ayant la mission de maintenir la sécurité et l’ordre au sein du milieu carcéral, prennent également part à la mission de réinsertion sociale des individus incarcérés. Les agents doivent moduler leurs pratiques disciplinaires selon des éléments administratifs et institutionnels, tout en entretenant une relation avec les individus incarcérés basée sur la négociation et le marchandage. Le deuxième suggère que le droit disciplinaire est une question de pouvoir. En effet, malgré l’encadrement des établissements carcéraux par des textes légaux, les agents correctionnels détiennent un pouvoir discrétionnaire reconnu et accepté dans l’application de la discipline. / The correctional officers are at the hearth of the operation of provincial correctional facilities in Quebec as they are required to work and respond every day to individuals incarcerated in prisons. Their disciplinary practices towards incarcerated individuals were previously considered as arbitrary and took place in an environment defined as autonomous, self-sufficient, closed to the outside and that didn’t require the support of society (Gofmann, 1961). The last decades have brought many changes, such as the recognition of the rights of incarcerated individuals, the opening of the prison environment, the standardization of the detention conditions as well as the introduction of the Act respecting the Quebec Correctional System and the Regulations under the Act respecting the Quebec Correctional System, that regulate the disciplinary process. The interest of this research is the understanding of the practices of correctional officers in disciplinary proceedings following these changes. This study also aims the understanding of what influences the decision, by a correctional officer, to write a disciplinary report. Our results are divided in two aspects. The first suggests that the disciplinary practices are about power. Indeed, despite the supervision of prisons by legal texts, correctional officers have a discretionary power towards the application of discipline that is recognized and accepted. Secondly, the disciplinary practices are set in a certain balance of the prison regime. Correctional officers have the mission to maintain security and order within the prison. They also take part in the mission of social reintegration of incarcerated individuals. They must adjust their disciplinary practices according to administrative and institutional elements, while maintaining a relationship with incarcerated individuals based on negotiation and bargaining.

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