Office Discipline Referrals Research Articles

Examining Teachers’ Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Self-Efficacy

This study examined the self-reports of 33 Grades K–6 teachers from the Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Self-Efficacy Scale (CRCMSE) in relation to observed classroom management practices (praise, opportunities to respond, and reprimands) and classroom-level student outcomes (correct academic responses, disruptive behavior, and office discipline referrals). Additionally, we explored the relation between CRCMSE ratings, observed classroom management practices, and racial equity in school discipline. Results showed that on average, teachers rated their culturally responsive competencies moderately high. There were no significant associations between CRCMSE ratings and observed classroom practices or racial equity in discipline. However, the delivery of praise statements was strongly associated with racial equity. Possible implications for measuring cultural responsiveness using self-report are also discussed.

Promoting professional development of secondary school teachers in greece: in-school training in managing student behaviour

ABSTRACT The study aimed to train teachers in managing student behaviour and to investigate the impact on teachers and their students. The training was based on adult-learning and group-leading strategies (development/application) as well as Social-Emotional-Learning and School-Wide-Positive-Behaviour-Supports approaches (content). It consisted of training meetings, coaching and distance learning and was implemented at Thessaloniki middle school, using a neighbouring middle school as the control school. The stability of impacts was checked by follow-up tests after four and twelve months accordingly. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used for data analysis. After completion of training and four months later, an effective behaviour-management methodology and corresponding strategies were developed in the intervention school. Teachers reported increased professional self-efficacy, teachers and students evaluated their school climate more positively and students’ office discipline referrals decreased, compared with the control school. Benefits had decreased a year later, however, they remained increased compared with the control school. Ways to maintain beneficial results and a sustainable in-service teacher professional development policy are discussed.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Videos: A Descriptive Analysis (2016–2020)

Over the past decade, schools have adopted videos as a medium to augment positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS) programming. This approach engages various stakeholders in the development and use of PBIS videos. Subsequently, most PBIS videos are created based on existing school data (e.g., office discipline referrals) and expectation matrices. However, specifics about video content and creation mediums (e.g., acting, song, poster, pictures) are unknown. Therefore, we identified 238 videos and coded each for the format, type of video, and PBIS elements. We found videos are (a) created using several different mediums and (b) typically intended for students (as well as faculty and staff). We identified strengths (e.g., clear, and positive language) and weaknesses (e.g., lack of closed captioning). We discuss considerations for creating PBIS videos, limitations, and directions for future inquiry.

The Effects of Higher-Stakes Teacher Evaluation on Office Disciplinary Referrals

The effects of imposing accountability pressures on public school teachers are empirically indeterminate. In this paper, we study the effects of accountability in the context of teacher responses to student behavioral infractions in the aftermath of teacher evaluation reforms. We leverage cross-state variation in the timing of state policy implementation to estimate whether teachers change the rate at which they remove students from their classrooms. We find that higher-stakes teacher evaluation had no causal effect on the rates of disciplinary referrals, and we find no evidence of heterogeneous effects for grades subject to greater accountability pressures or in schools facing differing levels of disciplinary infractions. Our results are precisely estimated and robust to a battery of assumption and specification checks.

The Dimensions of School Discipline: Toward a Comprehensive Framework for Measuring Discipline Patterns and Outcomes in Schools

The school discipline literature has expanded rapidly in recent decades, yet the conceptualization and measurement of school discipline patterns remains overlooked. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analytic framework to examine school discipline patterns that encompasses school-level metrics that capture the prevalence and disparity in exclusionary discipline and regression-based approaches that examine the likelihood that students experience exclusionary discipline. We apply the framework to New York City and, based on school-level metrics, find that Black students have the highest prevalence and the highest disproportionality. Results from regression models affirm that Black students are most likely to receive office discipline referrals and suspensions and experience differential processing of suspensions for similar categories of infractions. The findings illustrate the nuances of the disciplinary process in schools and inform the consideration of a range of available analytic tools that educational stakeholders may employ to better measure and understand exclusionary discipline.

PBIS fidelity, school climate, and student discipline: A longitudinal study of secondary schools

AbstractCreating safe and supportive environments where students engage in prosocial behaviors is a priority and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) are used to achieve these goals. This study investigated relationships between PBIS fidelity, school climate, and office discipline referrals (ODRs). Participants were 204,701 students in 288 middle and high schools. Results indicated that additional years of PBIS implementation were related to greater fidelity, stronger school climate, and fewer ODRs. Findings also showed that students' perceptions of school climate in earlier years predicted fidelity and ODRs in later years. Further, ODRs reported during earlier years of PBIS implementation predicted fidelity and school climate in later years. Implications for research and practice are discussed, including considerations for how the whole‐school environment can affect PBIS implementation. Future research should investigate school level (i.e., elementary, middle, and high school) and school diversity as moderators of the relationship between PBIS fidelity, school climate, and behavioral outcomes. Researchers and policymakers should use multidimensional school climate scales rather than relying only on unidimensional measures. Finally, since school climate influenced fidelity, schools that create safe/supportive environments can maximize the effective implementation of complex strategies like PBIS.

Equity-focused PBIS approach reduces racial inequities in school discipline: A randomized controlled trial.

We assessed the effects of a whole-school equity intervention implemented within a school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) framework on racial inequities in school discipline in eight elementary schools with inequitable referrals for Black students. The intervention involved assessing patterns of racial disparities in school discipline decisions and providing professional development on adapting school-wide behavior systems to improve cultural responsiveness through concrete strategies targeting the patterns. After consent and matching on existing levels of racial inequities, half of the schools were randomly assigned to receive the intervention. Analyses showed that schools receiving the intervention had significant decreases in racial disparities in school discipline and rates of office discipline referrals (ODRs) for Black students, while control schools had minimal change. Results are discussed in terms of improving equity in school discipline within multitiered systems of support. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining teachers' judgment of students' 21st century skills and academic and behavioral outcomes

AbstractIn this study we examined the relationship of students' 21st century skills with their academic and behavioral outcomes. We investigated K‐12 teachers' (n = 150) judgment of students' (n = 3,108) use of 21st century skills (i.e., persistence, curiosity, affect, and cognition behaviors) via a Likert‐type rating scale. We compared teachers' ratings with students' academic and behavioral outcomes in a southeastern school district. We used Hierarchical Linear Modeling with length of teacher acquaintance with the student as the nesting variable. Teacher ratings for students' low instances of persistence behaviors and high instances of externalizing affect behaviors were predictive of a higher probability of student office discipline referrals. We found a positive correlation for teachers' ratings of students' cognition behaviors and their reading, mathematics, and science outcomes. Teachers' student length of acquaintance was significant for academic outcomes. Results indicated a predictive relationship with teachers' judgment of students' 21st century skills and student outcomes.

A brief report on the promise of system 2 cues for impacting teacher decision-making in school discipline practices for Black male youth.

Despite the evidence implicating implicit racial bias in teacher decision-making as one reason for the overrepresentation of Black male students in school discipline practices, there is minimal research regarding interventions that address implicit racial bias in the school setting. A System 2 cue refers to a behavioral cue that engages more deliberate and controlled cognitive processes in decision-making and mitigates the impact of unconscious racial bias in decision-making, in contrast to System 1 processing which employs more automatic cognitive processes. This pilot study evaluated the use of a System 2 cue in teacher decision-making and included 361 practicing teachers. All participants read a vignette describing a Black male student's behavior and were then assigned to a control condition or the System 2 cue condition. Differences in teacher perception of troublesome behavior were analyzed with independent samples t test and likelihood of completing an office discipline referral was compared with binary logistic regression. Results indicate that addition of a System 2 cue predicted ODR likelihood, but perception of troublesome behavior was more predictive and explained the relationship between System 2 cue and referral likelihood. Further, we found differences in two aspects of troublesome behavior perception (i.e., level of concern and belief that the behavior will occur again in the future) for teachers receiving a System 2 cue compared to those who did not, preliminarily suggesting that some perceptions of troublesome behavior may be alterable through System 2 cues. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluating School-Level Student Outcomes of a Systematic Tier 2 Framework

Targeted Tier 2 interventions are critical to supporting students with challenging behavior and decreasing the resources associated with highly individualized and intense interventions. This study extends findings from recent single-case design studies and case example applications of the Tier 2 Identification and Intervention framework with the first large-scale evaluation of school-level outcomes following district implementation. We employed a pretest–posttest design within one large urban school district ( N = 23,042 students) to evaluate school-level discipline outcomes for elementary schools who received training and coaching on the Tier 2 framework. Fidelity (i.e., Tiered Fidelity Inventory) and school-level demographics (e.g., poverty status, race) were entered as covariates into the generalized linear models. Results indicated statistically significant decreases in office discipline referrals and in-school suspensions for schools with adequate Tier 2 fidelity. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

Embedding parental input in instruction of SWPBS behavioral expectations for African American students

Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support, a framework for remediating and preventing student problem behaviors and supporting schools, has demonstrated a reduction in office disciplinary referrals (ODRs) among student groups. However, African American students are still overrepresented in ODRs. This study extended a prior study that explored parents’ perceptions of schoolwide expectations. The previous study resulted in the development of a social skill curriculum to embed parental input within the meaning of the expectations as one way to build cultural responsiveness. Specifically, authors aimed to examine the effects of the social skill curriculum on the nonadherence to classroom expectations of K-1 African American students’ using multiple-probes across participants design. Results indicated improved adherence to behavioral expectations across participants. Implications for research and practice are provided.

Heterogeneity in Short- and Long-Term Impacts of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) on Academic Outcomes, Behavioral Outcomes, and Criminal Activity

To address social and behavioral problems in schools, more than 26,000 schools around the world have implemented School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS). Previous studies have focused on the effects of SWPBS on short-term teacher-rated behavior such as office discipline referrals or academic outcomes, but no study has yet investigated effects on long-term student outcomes. We use population-wide longitudinal register data, including all Norwegian students that are exposed to SWPBS, and examine effects on short- and long-term academic outcomes, as well as long-term school behavior and youth crime. Both when we evaluate average program effects for all students and when looking at at-risk students only, we find no indications that the Norwegian SWPBS affected any of these outcomes.

Disproportionality Reduction in Exclusionary School Discipline: A Best-Evidence Synthesis

A full canon of empirical literature shows that students who are African American, Latinx, or American Indian/Alaskan Native, and students who are male, diagnosed with disabilities, or from low socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to experience exclusionary discipline practices in U.S. schools. Though there is a growing commitment to mitigating discipline disparities through alternative programming, it is clear that disproportionality in the application of harmful discipline practices persists. The purpose of this literature synthesis was to examine the effectiveness of empirically studied school-based interventions in reducing disproportionality in discipline practices. We analyzed articles that assessed both prevention and intervention program effects using at least one outcome variable representing exclusionary discipline, either in the form of office discipline referrals or suspension/expulsion rates. Included studies used experimental, quasi-experimental, or observational research designs that disaggregated student outcomes by race, ethnicity, gender, disability, or other sociodemographic categories. We identified 20 articles meeting inclusion criteria, four of which provided direct evidence of disproportionality reduction using interaction terms. Results indicate limited evidence that available programs reduce discipline disparities and that common programs may function as a protective factor for White and female students while failing to do so for marginalized students. Findings identify promising areas for future research.

Ninth grade office discipline referrals: the critical role of teachers in addressing students’ social, emotional, and behavioural needs

ABSTRACT Office disciplinary referrals (ODRs) during students’ first year of high school have been understudied despite research indicating they undermine graduation rates. Based on two cohorts of 9th grade students from one high school in one American Midwestern state, trends in ODRs were analysed in relation to students’ and teachers’ ratings of students’ social, emotional, and behavioural needs. During a typical school day, ODRs steadily increased in the first two hours of the day, then stabilised between 10am and 2pm. ODRs also peaked on Wednesdays and in November, February, and April. Analyses comparing students without any ODRs to those referred once and two times or more showed that students’ self-rating of their positive social skills and teacher rating of problem behaviours were associated with lower likelihood of having an ODR. Implications for school supports to improve student experience during the first year of high school are discussed.

Associations between teacher expectations and racial disproportionality in discipline referrals

We explored the racial discipline gap and sought to understand the extent to which elementary school teachers' (N = 33; Grades K-6) expectations for their students' (N = 496) future outcomes predicted racial discipline disproportionality. We used multilevel models, and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression with standardized errors corrected, to examine associations between teacher expectations of academic and behavioral student outcomes and patterns of office discipline referrals (ODRs) for the year. Results showed disproportionate ODR outcomes for Black students in comparison to White students. Additionally, we found that students held to lower expectations by their teachers received more ODRs than peers rated highly by their teachers, regardless of race. We also found that for every unit teacher expectations increased, the ODR disparity between Black, Latinx, and White students decreased. Lastly, multilevel models exploring teacher expectations of student outcomes explained approximately 21% of the difference in ODRs between Black and White peers.

Expanding Transformative Agency: Learning Lab as a Social Change Intervention for Racial Equity in School Discipline

BackgroundIn the United States, students of color are more likely to receive disciplinary exclusion compared with their White peers. The racial disproportionality in exclusionary school discipline (e.g., office discipline referrals and suspension) marginalizes students from nondominant communities and further aggravates inequalities in academic, social, and behavioral outcomes. As a socially, historically, and geographically situated inequity issue, addressing racial disparities in disciplinary outcomes requires a transformative experiment in which local stakeholders can engage in situated problem identification and problem-solving efforts in response to their specific needs, goals, and local dynamics.Purpose of StudyThis study examined how Learning Lab, an inclusive, collaborative problem-solving process, created a collaborative problem-solving space wherein school stakeholders exercised their collective, transformative agency to bring about a qualitative transformation in the school discipline system at an urban middle school for the creation of culturally responsive and equity-oriented learning environments for all students.SettingThe research took place at Rogoff Middle School in Wisconsin, which has historically served students from urban, low-income families. The school community struggled with the overrepresentation of Black students in exclusionary school discipline.ParticipantsLearning Lab comprised 14 members. Three parents and 11 school staff— administrators, teachers, social workers, an after-school coordinator, and a parent/paraprofessional working in a special education classroom—participated in the Learning Lab.Research DesignThis study used the Learning Lab intervention, taking place at an urban middle school between November 2012 and May 2014, as an instrumental case to explore how the participatory, design-based intervention transformed a schoolwide behavioral support system. Data collected from 14 meetings include observations, ethnographic field notes, school disciplinary data, and photos. All meetings were video recorded and transcribed, then analyzed using a transformative agency framework.Findings/ResultsWith the aim of organizing inclusive problem-solving activities for shared, collaborative future-making learning experiences, the Learning Lab encouraged local stakeholders to exercise their collective, transformative agency in order to produce locally meaningful and emancipatory knowledge aimed at reshaping a dysfunctional, punitive system that historically has yielded racial injustice in school discipline.Conclusions/RecommendationsAs a community-driven, scaled-down design process, Learning Lab can be a powerful leadership tool for school leaders to unite school stakeholders by building authentic school–family–community partnerships and leveraging expertise, experiences, and ingenuity for the development of locally optimized solutions to inequity.

Associations Between Community-Level Racial Biases, Office Discipline Referrals, and Out-of-School Suspensions

This study examined the extent to which disparities in Black and White students’ risks of receiving office discipline referrals (ODRs), and out-of-school suspensions (OSSs) were related to differences in implicit and explicit racial biases assessed at the community level. The sample consisted of discipline records for 1,354,010 students enrolled in 2,100 U.S. schools in 183 communities distributed across the United States. Analyses estimated and compared the contributions of average implicit and explicit racial biases in schools’ localities to school-level disproportionality in ODRs, OSSs, and OSSs controlling for disproportionality in ODRs. Results showed that community-level racial biases were related to racial disparities in ODRs and OSSs in schools, with some important differences by type of discipline decision. Impact Statement This study provides evidence that community-level explicit and implicit racial biases are associated with school-level racial disproportionality. Results indicate that a significant proportion of racial disproportionality may result from the effects of bias on the decision to issue an office discipline referral, as opposed to the decision tosuspend a student, indicating that a focus on classroom systems has the strongest potential to increase equity in school discipline. Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1838232

Impact of a School-Based, Multi-Tiered Emotional and Behavioral Health Crisis Intervention on School Safety and Discipline.

Schools across the United States are struggling with how to formulate comprehensive and effective programs to address the mental health needs of students and to promote school safety. This study, funded as part of the National Institute of Justice Comprehensive School Safety Initiative, employed a randomized controlled study design to evaluate the impact of a multi-component package of crisis prevention and response interventions on school safety and discipline outcomes, including suspensions, office discipline referrals, bullying reports, juvenile justice referrals, threat assessments, and follow-up procedures. Forty schools participated, all in a culturally diverse Mid-Atlantic, US school system spanning urban, suburban, and rural areas. The Emotional and Behavioral Health-Crisis Response and Prevention (EBH-CRP) intervention is a comprehensive training, organizational, and support protocol for school and community stakeholders aimed at increasing competence in preventing and responding to student EBH crises using multiple evidence-informed strategies that address emotional and behavioral health concerns across the continuum of supports. Results indicate that the EBH-CRP intervention had a significant positive effect on suspensions, office discipline referrals, and juvenile justice referrals for secondary schools. In addition, the intervention had positive effects on the number of bullying reports overall, with a particularly strong impact on primary schools. The intervention also had positive effects in maintaining more use of threat assessment and follow-up procedures. Although the intervention had a significant positive effect on secondary school-level suspensions, there was no impact on racial/ethnic disproportionality rates for this outcome. Implications for school safety prevention are discussed.

Scaling Up Behavioral Health Promotion Efforts in Maryland: The Economic Benefit of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has been shown to be a promising approach for improving a range of behavioral health and academic outcomes for youth. This study leveraged data from the scale-up of PBIS and a randomized controlled trial, both conducted in Maryland, to estimate the dollars saved per 100 students as a result of the reduced discipline problems and mental health concerns, and improved academic performance associated with PBIS. Shadow pricing results indicated that the largest cost savings were associated with improvements in standardized test scores ($138,658 for elementary and $71,444 for secondary). Reductions in elementary students’ aggressive and disruptive behavior, as well as bullying behavior, were also significant sources of cost savings ($166,028 in total). These cost-saving benefits are complemented by separate benefits associated with a reduction in suspensions ($33,415 for elementary and $11,361 for secondary). Other findings regarding student truancy, office discipline referrals, and mental health concerns are also reported. Taken together, these findings illustrate the broad cost savings associated with PBIS Tier 1 implementation and scale-up. We conclude by considering how the statewide scale-up of PBIS can translate into cost savings across multiple agencies.

Associations between Community-level Racial Biases, Office Discipline Referrals, and Out-of-School Suspensions

This study examined the extent to which disparities in Black and White students’ risks of receiving Office Discipline Referrals (ODRs), and out-of-school suspensions (OSSs) were related to differences in implicit and explicit racial biases assessed at the community level. The sample consisted of discipline records for 1,354,010 students enrolled in 2,100 U.S. schools in 183 communities distributed across the U.S. Analyses estimated and compared the contributions of average implicit and explicit racial biases in schools’ localities to school-level disproportionality in ODRs, OSSs, and OSSs controlling for disproportionality in ODRs. Results showed that community-level racial biases were related to racial disparities in ODRs and OSSs in schools, with some important differences by type of discipline decision.