Thesis advisor: Shanta Pandey / Thesis advisor: Cal Halvorsen / Students in the United States missed more than 11 million school days in the academic year 2017-2018 due to out-of-school suspensions. Research has shown that suspension has adverse short- and long-term consequences, such as lower academic achievement and lower graduation rates. With school suspension affecting approximately one-third of students across their K-12 experience, policymakers, researchers, and professionals have outlined school suspension as a major problem. Maternal involvement has been identified as a significant factor in student achievement, motivation, and aiming toward higher education, but little is known of the influence it may have on reducing exclusionary discipline—particularly for mothers with nonstandard employment. Exclusionary discipline is discipline practices that isolates students from the classroom environment. Guided by disability critical race theory, role conflict theory, and ecological systems theory, this dissertation utilized the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing dataset to assess the relationship between maternal nonstandard employment and three response variables: mothers’ (1) school-based and (2) home-based academic involvement; and (3) children’s school suspension rates. Children’s special education status was tested as a potential moderator for all three response variables, and maternal academic involvement was tested as a potential mediator between maternal nonstandard employment and children’s school suspension rates. There was a positive relationship between mothers working a sporadic schedule and their school-academic involvement, but not their home-academic involvement. There was a negative relationship between mothers working on the weekends and home-academic involvement, but not school-academic involvement. There was a negative relationship between mothers working on the weekends and youth school suspension, but the association was lost when covariates were included in the model. Despite the fact that Black mothers had a higher likelihood of academic involvement (both school based and home based) than White mothers, Black children also had a higher likelihood of school suspension than White children. Similarly, mothers with youth in special education had a higher likelihood of academic involvement (both school based and home based) than mothers with youth not in special education, however youth in special education also had a higher likelihood of school suspension than youth not in special education. Additional factors that were shown to decrease the odds of school suspension include- youth engaging in no or less externalizing behavior, being a boy, higher income status and higher maternal education. These results show the need to improve anti-racism and anti-ableism initiatives to reduce the suspension gap through implicit bias training, increased community engagement efforts, and restorative justice practices. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2024. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

The purpose of this dissertation study was to consider the ways in which middle school students made meaning of their experience with exclusionary discipline, specifically in-school suspension (ISS). While ISS has historically been positioned as an alternative to exclusionary discipline, ISS programs are often designed in ways that are exclusionary. Current research on exclusionary discipline points to the ways in which suspensions and expulsions impact students academically, socially, and emotionally. Very little of that research, however, considers the perspectives of the students who have been the recipients of exclusionary discipline. Thus, seeking to more fully understand the lived experiences of students who have been in ISS, I chose to apply a phenomenological methodology to the study. The research took place in a large school system in the Southeast, specifically with 13 middle school students in grades six through eight. The participants had been suspended between four and 14 times, for between eight and 37 days. Situating the study within a social constructionist framework, I viewed student behavior as socially constructed within interactions with school personnel. Drawing on an interpretive approach to phenomenological inquiry, I developed verbal portraits of each student in the form of first person accounts of their experiences with ISS. I also conducted a thematic analysis of the 13 interviews, developing five themes that illustrated how they made meaning of their experience. The themes, expressed in the words of the participants, are: (1) Gettin’ Written Up, (2) There are Some Teachers, (3) Sometimes it’s Boring. Sometimes it’s Fun. Sometimes it’s Torture. (4) The ISS Teacher’s a Nice Lady with a Snoozy Attitude, and (5) Our Learning Time. Based on these findings, implications are presented for both educators and educational researchers. Implications include (1) the need for students’ input into educational decisions and educational research, (2) the need to research and design ISS programs that benefit students rather than simply punish them, (3) the need for discussions around teachers who bully students and the ways in which students resist such treatment (or don’t), and (4) the need to further investigate the role of the ISS teacher in student discipline.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine a problem of practice present in an actual school district. The study examined School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Implementation as it relates to the recidivism rates of students of color in the in-school suspension setting. Over the course of one school year, the perceptions of seven middle school teachers, three parents, and two administrators were explored in a suburban middle school in Southeast Texas. Although In-school suspension programs exist in every American public school to some degree, little research has been done in regards to the academic outcomes associated with those who are frequently placed in this campus based disciplinary alternative educational placement. In many of these "placement" many of the students assigned are not afforded access to instructional materials, supplies, or a certified teacher. Since the enactment of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (2001), the achievement gap has been discussed and studied. However, few studies have been done to understand how the current practices in in-school suspension contribute to the achievement gap specifically among students of color. This study examined key stakeholder's perceptions of School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports, and In-school suspension as a vehicle for referral reduction and removal of middle school students from their academic setting. The participants were "key-stakeholder" parents, teachers, and administrators who educate students at Caden Middle School. Findings from this problem of practice indicated that not only was the campus not imploring consistent practices and interventions related to and promoted by the SWPBS system in the in-school suspension setting, many of the staff members teachers and administrators alike did not adhere to the philosophical tenants of the SWPBS within the general classroom setting. The research presented in the record of study, identified gaps in both perceptions and understanding among key stakeholders in regards both in-school suspension and the school-wide positive behavior support systems at Caden Middle School. Results of this from this problem of practice found a severe disconnect in understanding the purpose and rationale of SWPBS among the administrators, teachers, and parents that participated in this study. Furthermore, the variance in the "self-sense making" done by each of the stakeholder groups after campus leadership failed to communicate, support, and sustain district expectations for program implementation with fidelity. Initiatives implemented through the investigation of the questions related to this problem of practice assisted in providing relevant professional development to re-solicit teacher and staff buy-in, prioritization of organization goals, and engaging teacher leadership to re-implement SWPBS to countermand system practices that were contrary to the district's original expectations.

Research suggests that how teachers perceive the behavior of individual children in the early years of elementary school has important implications for the school success of those youth over time (Darney et al., 2013; Hibel et al., 2010; Jimerson et al., 1997; Reinke et al., 2008). This may be because children who are of concern to teachers are often identified for practices such as grade retention and/or special education placement. Although these practices are intended to help children, they have not been shown to be associated with long-term positive outcomes. Rather, youth who are subject to these practices experience negative outcomes more often than their peers, including lower academic achievement, higher rates of exclusionary discipline, and lower rates of high school graduation (Darney et al., 2013; Sullivan & Bal, 2013; Stearns et al., 2007). From an educational equity standpoint, it is important to understand how early elementary teacher concerns are related to outcomes over time for children from different demographic groups. It may be that teacher concerns regarding behavior for some children (e.g., boys, children from minority backgrounds, poor children) are more likely to lead to educational practices (e.g., special education, retention) that have been associated with poor outcomes for youth. The purpose of the current study was to examine how early elementary teacher behavior ratings were related to long-term outcomes for youth and whether those relationships were similar for youth of different races, gender, and socioeconomic statuses (SES). Three research questions were posed: (1) Do teacher behavior ratings in kindergarten and first grade predict special education placement and/or grade retention by fifth grade and/or school suspension by eighth grade? (2) To what extent are the relationships between these variables moderated by student gender, race, and/or SES? (3) To what extent are special education placement, grade retention, and school suspension related to each other? Archival data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort of 1998 (ECLS-K) were used to answer these questions. Results showed that teacher perceptions of behavior problems in early elementary school significantly predicted all three aforementioned outcomes. Of the various teacher-perceived behavior problems measured, approaches to learning (e.g., paying attention, being organized) was the most predictive. Black students with teacher-perceived weak approaches to learning were at higher risk than their White peers with weak approaches to learning for being retained and suspended. Additionally, female students with perceived weak approaches to learning were more likely to be retained than their male peers with weak approaches to learning. Special education, grade retention, and school suspension outcomes were weakly correlated with each other. The weak correlations among these outcomes suggests that youth who are perceived to be behaviorally at risk can potentially be on different paths that lead them to experience different long-term outcomes. Implications for educators, researchers, and policymakers are discussed.

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While many school districts in the state of Florida have achieved unitary status and are no longer under court jurisdiction, evidence that school districts continue to practice discipline policies that result in the disproportionate suspension of Black students can be found. Despite decades of desegregation, Black students continue to experience the devastating consequences of suspension and expulsion from school. The overrepresentation of Black students in the administration of school discipline is a serious concern for school districts. This study investigated if the attainment of unitary status resulted in equity in school discipline for Black students. Additionally, the study investigated the overrepresentation of Black students in the administration of school discipline as measured by out-of-school suspensions in the secondary schools of the 67 Florida public school districts in 2005-2006. The study compared the representation of Hispanic and Multiracial students to Black students in the administration of school discipline. The study also examined the effects of grade level (6, 7, 8, and 9) on Black, Hispanic, and Multiracial students in the administration of school discipline. Analysis of the data derived from the Florida Department of Education database for school year 2005-2006 led to the following findings: (1) there was overrepresentation of Black students in secondary schools in the state of Florida and that 42 school districts were not in compliance with unitary status guidelines; (2) Black students were overrepresented in school discipline when compared to Hispanic and Multiracial students; (3) the effect of grade (6, 7, 8, and 9) was not significant in the representation of Black students in school discipline; (4) 18 Florida public school districts have attained unitary status, 16 public school districts remained under court jurisdiction, and 33 public school districts were never subject to desegregation litigation; and, (5) Black students were overrepresented in the administration of school discipline in school districts that have attained unitary status.

This paper critically evaluates school discipline reform policy and implementation by California in the Oakland Unified School District after the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights investigation. It demonstrates that policy implementation at the school level is equally as important as policy building and reform at the state-and district level. The Oakland Unified School district was subject to many reforms at the district level through change in state-wide legislation, and school board reform after the investigation concluded with several recommendations for the district. This provides a unique opportunity to study policy implementation at the school-level to understand how school environment and discretion may affect reform implementation. As research surrounding the effects of punitive school discipline continue to support alternative discipline practices, many states and school-districts have begun to implement its own reform. However, school discretion on how these policies are implemented call for researchers to focus on the school-level of policy implementation. This thesis is motivated to create an understanding in how policy implementation at the state and district level will differ across schools in the same district, focusing on school environment can influence implementation. / Master of Arts / This paper evaluates policy implementation in a California School District as a school-level. In 2012, the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights conducted an investigation in California's Oakland Unified School District on reports of the district subjugating students of minority status to harsher punitive punishment than those of their white peers. The Office for Civil Rights found evidence to support this claim and suggested many disciplines policy and practices reform to the district, which the district began to implement throughout its schools. This paper focuses on reviewing state-wide and district-wide discipline reform by comparing two high schools who experienced a difference in suspensions after reform was implemented. I offer insight into policy implementation by focusing on school environment through mission and vision statements. I perform my analysis through a comparative case study analysis of the two schools as well as content analysis of the state policy and district level policies and practices discussing school discipline. This paper emphasizes that school policy reform at the state and district level is important, however; policy implementation at the school-level ultimately creates change and is affected by school environment.

The thesis is mapping the region of Kladno in period of 4 years and is pointing to an increase of school suspension in 2011by about six percent, compared to the average in previous three years. With help of used research methods, interviews and data analysis, we have confirmed and determined a hypothesis, that the most weakened components of children's personalities in Kladno are connected to social maturity, which pointed out self- sufficiency problems and problems with making contacts with peers. At the field of mental maturity we detected speech defects and inability to focus on classwork. Also we concluded that school suspension is more frequently granted to boys. This is pointed out in the theory of Langmeier, J., Krejčířová, D. 2006 and ÚIV. However, the month of birth, which also determines accession to the school, is important. At the end of our thesis, which contains general summary, we highlighted the uncertain areas and we suggested other possible topics, which needs to be further investigated.

The purpose of this thesis was to identify the most common causes of school suspension within a regional survey in comparison with the views of parents, elementary and kindergarten teachers. In connection with this theme the author dealt with pre-school child characteristics focusing on school maturity diagnosis and school suspension problematics. The main reasearch was realised i Pedagogical-psychological advice centre in Kladno in 3 selected years ranging from 1999 to 2010. The method of analysis has been used to collect the data. A survey in a form of an anonymous questionnaire clearified opinions of selected respondents. On the basis of this observation a casuistry of a school suspended child with specific needs has been made. This casuistry demonstrates further development of a child after starting it's school attendence. Submitted results of the thesis confirmed the opinions of experts in this field as well as conclusions of researches focusing on school suspension issues. It has been found out, that the most common causes of school suspension in the examined lokality are the issues of speech, visual and hearing perception, graphmotorics and school work maturity. This finding was identical with the views of respondents of the survey. The respondents marked psychological area of school...