The impact of implementing a school -wide discipline program in a public middle school

Stephanie R Kraft, Tennessee State University

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to determine methods by which student discipline in public middle schools can be improved. Middle schools demonstrate a high rate of disciplinary referrals compared to other schools. This research study explored the possibility that the implementation of a school-wide discipline program will lessen the number of disciplinary referrals and the number of infractions resulting in In School Suspension (ISS) and Out of School Suspension (OSS). It examined whether there was a difference in the number of disciplinary referrals written for male and female students as well as possible differences among racial groups. The sample consisted of students receiving disciplinary referrals from spring 2003 through spring 2004 at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Antioch, Tennessee. The discipline plan existing at the beginning of the 2003–2004 school year was ambiguous for teachers and students (Appendix A). Therefore, the discipline committee constructed a school-wide discipline program. This plan was completed and put in place during the spring 2003–2004 school year. The number of referrals written the fall semester of the 2003–2004 school year was compared to the number of referrals written during the spring semester of the same school year. Also, the number of referrals written during the spring semester of the 2002–2003 school year was compared to the number of referrals written during the spring semester of the 2003–2004 school year. Attention was given to the disciplinary referrals that led to the consequence of ISS and OSS during the fall 2003 semester compared to the spring 2004 semester as well as the spring 2003 semester compared to the spring 2004 semester. After the implementation of the school-wide discipline program, an increase was recorded in the mean number of referrals and in referrals leading to ISS. There was also an increase in the number of referrals written for African American students compared to Caucasian students. However, there was a significant decrease in the number of disciplinary referrals leading to the consequence of OSS. Also, there was no significant difference in the number of referrals written for male and female students after the implementation of the program.

Subject Area

School administration|Secondary education

Recommended Citation

Stephanie R Kraft, "The impact of implementing a school -wide discipline program in a public middle school" (2004). ETD Collection for Tennessee State University. Paper AAI3167779.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3167779

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