Date of Award
5-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education Systems Improvement Science
Committee Chair/Advisor
Brandi Hinnant-Crawford
Committee Member
Jacquelynn Malloy
Committee Member
Noelle Paufler
Committee Member
Daniella Sutherland
Abstract
Male students of color often receive harsher disciplinary consequences than their same age White peers. Disproportionate discipline practices have existed within the education system for years, primarily due to a historical systemic issue of implicit bias due to race. One intervention used to quell some of these disparities is Restorative Practices. This program evaluation study used Restorative Practices as an intervention to determine the extent that it could close the discipline gap in one South Carolina high school. Using a concurrent nested mixed method design, I analyzed and synthesized historical agency data to answer the first research question regarding the extent that Restorative Practices decreased a school’s suspensions for male students of color; additionally, I collected, analyzed, and synthesized teacher interviews and observations of classrooms to answer the second research question regarding how teachers perceived the implementation of Restorative Practices within their classrooms. Restorative Practices (RPs) served as an intervention during this program evaluation.
Using both quantitative and qualitative data analysis, the study revealed that Restorative Practices as an intervention can assist in closing the discipline gap, while also displaying the need for whole school implementation. This research contributes to the on-going work of equity within the classroom and supports further research within the field.
Recommended Citation
Strmac, Meredith, "Restoring Student Behavior: A Culturally Responsive Evaluation of Restorative Practices on Disproportionate Referral Data" (2024). All Dissertations. 3638.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/3638