Student behavior is one of the top concerns for classroom teachers (Freiberg & Reyes, 2008). Student discipline has been a historic problem for teachers and schools alike. Students who misbehave tend to obstruct learning outcomes for students and negatively impact the efficacy and well-being of teachers (Tschannen-Moran & Woolfolk Hoy,…

The purpose of this study is to determine if and to what extent disparities in the referral of student subpopulations for discretionary discipline exist and if changes in disparity correlate with changes in campus academic achievement. In this study, 31 million observations of discipline data generated by reason code 21, violations of the student…

This quantitative correlational study aimed to investigate how the implementation of exclusionary disciplinary measures impacts the academic performance of African American students in urban school districts of Louisiana, and to explore gender differentials in the application of exclusionary discipline practices. Linear regression results indicate…

In the state of South Carolina, African American students make up 34% of the student population but 59% of students receive out-of-school suspension. It was assumed by prior research statistics that the disproportionality of discipline produces lower academic achievement for African American students. An examination of the disproportionality of…

The purpose of this study was to assess whether student satisfaction with faculty and academic advisors varied based on the sex of the student and the students' academic college at a large public university in the Southeast. With the university aiming to improve its graduation rates, particularly male graduation rates, the Theory of Student…

This dissertation presents an in-depth examination of the effectiveness of restorative practices in a high school setting. The study was conducted in a regional high school and included both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. The results of the study show that restorative practices can significantly improve student behavior and…

School leadership practices impact school performance elements, and stakeholder partnerships affect student outcomes, as well as school improvement sustainability. Little information exists regarding impacts leadership practices amalgamated with authentic stakeholder partnerships have on sustainable school turnaround. The purpose of this…

Using secondary data from a NY Kids comparative case study conducted in 2017-2018 of two positive outlier high schools, the purpose of this dissertation was to learn more about their discipline practices and the role secondary school leaders play in shaping those discipline systems. Two positive outlier high schools were studied, as they were…

This dissertation consists of three papers on education policy. In each paper, I use applied econometric methods and descriptive quantitative analysis to examine topics related to teacher labor markets and postsecondary attainment. The first paper leverages a rich student-teacher-day data set to study the relationship between daily teacher…

Black students are disproportionately represented in special education, especially in categories that are subjectively determined by educators. Also, Black students with disabilities experience disproportionate rates of exclusionary discipline in schools and have disproportionately higher dropout rates and lower graduation rates. Research has…

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between five school productivity measures at 248 Tennessee high schools and educators' perceptions of these institutions' climate for student discipline. Grounded in archived accountability information stored on the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) website, these five productivity…

Over the last 100 years, the overwhelming majority of Americans have attended this nation's public schools. There are clearly documented deleterious effects for students who do not successfully graduate from high school. Further, scholars and practitioners have recognized the adverse impacts on communities and the economy. Unfortunately, Colorado…

Social promotion is an ongoing issue in education and is frequently seen as a dichotomy with retention. While retention is a commonly researched topic, the information regarding the academic and behavioral outcomes of socially promoted students is much sparser. The problem is that many students who are socially promoted into high school after…

In 2004, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) adopted legislation that it hoped would help increase the graduation rates of student athletes. The Academic Progress Rating (APR), was designed to hold each individual athletic program accountable for keeping student athletes eligible and at the institution until the student athlete…

The purpose of this mixed method study is to explain the ecology Black males experience as they transition from elementary school to middle school in terms of behavior. The Black male graduation rate is well below 50% nationally (Orfield, Losen, Wald, & Swanson, 2004; Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2010). Graduating from high school…