AN ANALYSIS OF THE DISPROPORTIONATE DISCIPLINE REFERRAL RATES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: AN ANALYSIS OF THE DISPROPORTIONATE DISCIPLINE REFERRAL RATES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS Tshela H. Dennis, Doctor of Education, 2025

Dissertation Directed By: Dr. Christine M. Neumerski, Associate Director of the EdD, College of Education, University of Maryland African American students disproportionately receive discipline referrals for disrespect and disruption in comparison to White students. Even though this problem has been researched and documented for more than 50 years, (Children’s Defense Fund report, 1975; Sheets, 1996; Brooks & Johnson, 2006; Raja, 2019) and national, state and local initiatives have been developed to eradicate it, disproportionate discipline practices continue to plague our school systems. This study investigated the strategies teachers use to address subjective student behaviors in the classroom and the supports teachers need to increase their use of pre-referral interventions prior to writing an office discipline referral. During this study, the researcher focused on the DRAAS in one middle school in Shoreline School district, a school system in a mid-Atlantic state. The researcher created the acronym DRAAS to indicate the equity gap in discipline between African American students and other student subgroups being studied. DRAAS was calculated by comparing the percentage of African American students referred for subjective offenses at Shoreline Middle School to other student groups at Shoreline.Quantitative data from surveys and qualitative insights from interviews with teachers were synthesized to address four research questions: (1) What types of student behaviors do middle school teachers report result in them issuing disciplinary referrals? (2) What, if any, pre-referral interventions do teachers report using prior to writing discipline referrals for subjective behaviors? (3) What reason, if any, do teachers report for non-use of pre-referral interventions and or management strategies prior to writing discipline referrals for subjective behaviors? and (4) What supports do teachers report needing to increase their use of pre-referral interventions? The study found that teachers believe that insufficient training, unclear schoolwide expectations, and inadequate administrative support are barriers to their effective and consistent use of pre-referral interventions for subjective student behaviors.