Date of Award
1-1-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ed.D. in Education
First Advisor
Ann Monroe
Second Advisor
Erica Avent
Third Advisor
Kayla Crook
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
This dissertation consists of four manuscripts to explore implementations of positive behavior supports to minimize the placement of students into disciplinary alternative classrooms. Manuscript 1, sheds light on the ideas of teaching practices which reflect that teachers are often unprepared for student behaviors in their classroom which leads to traditional forms of discipline. These disciplines negatively impact African American male students disproportionately higher than their peers.
Manuscript 2, the Literature Review indicates that disproportionate discipline occurs due to exclusionary practices, implicit bias, lack of cultural knowledge, and lack of implementations to provide positive behavior support. The researcher found it relevant to explore the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and Positive Behavior Interventions of Support at an elementary school in northern Mississippi to determine fidelity in implementation.
Manuscript 3, the Research Article, used a qualitative research design to address the disproportionate discipline of African American males and to determine the implementations of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and Positive Behavior Interventions of Support. Student disciplinary data was collected and analyzed. Semi-structured and focus group interviews were conducted and the perceptions indicated teachers and support staff need more support, schoolwide expectations, and resources. There were many causes for the lack of implementations of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and Positive Behavior Interventions of Support, and the causes for the disproportionate placement of African American male students into disciplinary settings represented in the data. Categories and themes were generated using In Vivo coding. Fishbone diagrams were used to organize the data after coding to visually represent the themes generated.
Manuscript 4, the Practitioner Article, details the improvement plan which includes the implementation of schoolwide positive behavior interventions of support with a teacher support team. The teacher support team will be led by a PBIS mentor teacher and additional teachers to provide their teacher colleagues with appropriate behavior interventions and resources to provide to their students which are required by the Mississippi Department of Education. The improvement plan will aid in providing consistent expectations for all students throughout the school and serve as drivers to minimize the placement of African American males into disciplinary settings.
Recommended Citation
Buford, Valarie, "Positive Behavior Supports to Minimize the Placement of Students into Disciplinary Alternative Classrooms" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3254.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/3254