Examining Administrators’ Disciplinary Philosophies

Abstract

Background: In the 40th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, Americans rated student discipline as the second largest problem facing public education. This poses a substantial problem for administrators striving to employ school reform policies, address public demands, and meet the needs of contemporary students. Purpose: A review of the literature revealed a large body of research that examines disciplinary practice; however, it also showcased a literary gap regarding administrative disciplinary philosophies. Research Design: This multiple case study highlights disciplinary philosophies possessed by five secondary school administrators. Analysis includes utilizing the administrator discipline facilitation continuum, an adapted discipline continuum developed to analyze administrator disciplinary philosophies. Conclusions: The versatility of the continuum as well as implications for its use and future development are discussed.

Factors Potentially Influencing Discipline Referral and Suspensions at an Affiliated Charter High School

“…Discipline in education is rooted in a theoretical framework associated with the social, behavioral, and cognitive sciences (B. N. Smith & Hains, 2012). Social learning theory explains behavior as an interaction of environmental, behavioral, and cognitive effects (Bandura, 1977).…”

Avoiding the Threat

“…The American public has identified school discipline as the second largest problem facing education (Smith & Hains, 2012). Exclusionary discipline is harmful to students (Losen & Martinez, 2013).…”

The Enemy Among Us

“…This lag in the understanding of administrative disciplinary decisions is significant, given the continued increase in the diversity of student populations in schools. Currently, frameworks provided to administrators relating to disciplinary facilitation are highly prescriptive and lack flexibility (Smith & Hains, 2012). In the absence of flexibility, administrators develop their own disciplinary philosophy based on experience [or lack thereof] and personal beliefs (Smith & Hains, 2012).…”

“…Currently, frameworks provided to administrators relating to disciplinary facilitation are highly prescriptive and lack flexibility (Smith & Hains, 2012). In the absence of flexibility, administrators develop their own disciplinary philosophy based on experience [or lack thereof] and personal beliefs (Smith & Hains, 2012). To remediate the unequal application of exclusionary discipline at the individual level, additional research that provides a theoretical framework and examines administrators’ decision-making processes and choices when applying discipline policy and acting on discipline-related incidents is required.…”