Redefining The Discipline Gatekeeper: A Mixed Method Analysis Of Urban Middle School Assistant Principals

Search for this publication on Google Scholar
Williams III, J. (2019). Redefining The Discipline Gatekeeper: A Mixed Method Analysis Of Urban Middle School Assistant Principals. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
Download PDF

Analytics

103 views ◎
79 downloads ⇓


Abstract

African American students, despite over four decades of research and reports, still receive the highest percentage of school discipline infractions (i.e., office referrals, in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, and referrals to law enforcement) than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. Isolating and replicating solutions to this inequitable condition requires that researchers investigate specific points along the disciplinary pathway (i.e., from the incident in the classroom, to the student being sent to the school office, to the prescription of the discipline outcome), so to determine who if anyone can help to reduce or prevent unnecessary school discipline outcomes for African American students. The purpose of this mixed method study is to explore the role, development, and disciplinary practices of assistant principals; as their authority and power gives them ability to recommend interventions at their discretion. This research illuminates three significant findings: 1) assistant principals are often viewed as inconsistent enforcers of discipline for African American students; 2) assistant principals’ role as disciplinarians are influenced by internal and external factors; and 3) according to principals, to be effective at reducing the use of exclusionary discipline practices, student-centered mentorship is required in conjunction with a personal aspiration to provide culturally inclusive interventions for African American students.

Details
Author

Williams III, John

Title

Redefining The Discipline Gatekeeper: A Mixed Method Analysis Of Urban Middle School Assistant Principals

Physical Description

1 online resource (188 pages) : PDF

Date

2019

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

African American students, despite over four decades of research and reports, still receive the highest percentage of school discipline infractions (i.e., office referrals, in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, and referrals to law enforcement) than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. Isolating and replicating solutions to this inequitable condition requires that researchers investigate specific points along the disciplinary pathway (i.e., from the incident in the classroom, to the student being sent to the school office, to the prescription of the discipline outcome), so to determine who if anyone can help to reduce or prevent unnecessary school discipline outcomes for African American students. The purpose of this mixed method study is to explore the role, development, and disciplinary practices of assistant principals; as their authority and power gives them ability to recommend interventions at their discretion. This research illuminates three significant findings: 1) assistant principals are often viewed as inconsistent enforcers of discipline for African American students; 2) assistant principals’ role as disciplinarians are influenced by internal and external factors; and 3) according to principals, to be effective at reducing the use of exclusionary discipline practices, student-centered mentorship is required in conjunction with a personal aspiration to provide culturally inclusive interventions for African American students.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Education
Educational leadership

Degree

Ph.D.

Keywords

African American Students
Assistant Principals
Qualitative
Quantitative
School Discipline

Subject Area

Curriculum & Instruction

Advisor(s)

Lewis, Chance

Committee Members

Butler, Bettie
Starker Glass, Tehia
Hoon Lim, Jae

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2019.

Rights Statement

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For additional information, see http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/.

Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

WilliamsIII_uncc_0694D_11983

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:2113