Administering Discipline: An Examination of the Factors Shaping School Discipline Practices

SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://sagepub.com

Y

34

Discipline; School Policy; Elementary Secondary Education; Teacher Education; Leadership Responsibility; Mentors; Interpersonal Relationship; Classroom Techniques; Cultural Relevance; Experiential Learning; Racial Differences; Gender Differences; Suspension; Equal Education; Minority Group Students; Racism; Principals; Student Behavior; Teacher Role

10.1177/00131245231208170

0013-1245
1552-3535

School discipline is a significant educational policy and equity issue in K-12 education due to well-documented racial inequality in exclusionary discipline and the deleterious effects of exclusionary discipline on academic and adult outcomes. Drawing on interviews with district and school administrators and teachers in an "urban-emergent" district, this exploratory qualitative case study identifies and explicates the key factors that shape disciplinary practices within schools. Two major factors emerge as critical to school discipline practices in K-12 schools: (a) teacher preparation and (b) modeling of effective school discipline practices (how school leaders support teachers and how mentors support school leaders in the disciplinary process). Four key themes regarding teacher preparation emerge (a) relationship building, (b) classroom management, (c) cultural responsiveness and proficiency, and (d) experiential learning. The race and gender of educators permeate these factors. Implications for education policy and practice are discussed.

As Provided

2024

EJ1434750