Date

5-22-2024

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Breck Perry

Keywords

discipline, case study, Black girls, disproportionality, school-to-prison pipeline, administrators

Disciplines

Education

Abstract

The purpose of this multiple-embedded case study was to explore school administrators’ perspective on the school-to-prison pipeline and the repercussions on Black females at high schools in the Eastern region of the United States. The theory guiding this study was the social justice theory, as it explains the relationship between the social justice principles and exclusionary discipline norms and practices, racial injustice, and gender stereotypes that marginalize Black girls and increase their criminal justice involvement. The central research question of this study was: How do school administrators address the overrepresentation of Black girls that are suspended and expelled from school? The criterion sampling method was used to select participants for the study. After distributing the participant screening questionnaire, 11 participants met the eligibility criteria and were selected to participate in the research. Individual interviews, focus groups, and document analysis were used to obtain data from high school administrators. The case study framework, individual interviews, and focus groups yielded four themes: equity, professional judgment/discretion, alternatives to discipline, and building relationships. Eight sub-themes were developed from the main themes: fairness, positive intervention behavior support, restorative practice, Safe Center, code of conduct, overrepresentation, discipline outcomes, and culture. These themes and sub-themes were aligned with the central research question and sub-questions. The study findings indicated that administrators’ leadership style and decision-making approaches impact discipline outcomes.

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