Purpose.;The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the extent to which differences might be present in discipline consequence assignments by student demographic characteristics in Texas middle schools. In the first investigation, the degree to which discipline consequence assignments differed by the degree of student economic disadvantage (i.e., Not Poor, Moderately Poor, or Extremely Poor) was examined. In the second study, the extent to which discipline consequence assignments differed by student ethnicity/race (i.e., Asian, White, Hispanic, and Black) was addressed. Finally, in the third investigation, the degree to which discipline consequence assignments differed by student gender within each of the four major ethnic/racial groups (i.e., Asian, White, Hispanic, and Black) in Texas was determined. These discipline consequences were analyzed for three school years. As such, this multiyear analysis permitted a determination of trends, if present, in the differential assignment of discipline consequences.;Method.;In this multiyear investigation, a non-experimental, causal comparative research design was used. Archival data analyzed in this investigation were previously obtained from the Texas Education Agency Public Education Information Management System for the 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2015-2016 school years. The degree to which differences were present in discipline consequence assignments by student demographic characteristics in Texas middle schools was determined.;Findings.;For the 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2015-2016 school years, statistically significant differences were established in the assignment of discipline consequences by student demographic characteristic. Data resulting from this 3-year statewide analysis were reflective of strong inequities in the assignment of discipline consequences by student degree of economic disadvantage, by student ethnicity/race (i.e., Asian, White, Hispanic, and Black), and by student gender within each of the four major ethnic/racial groups (i.e., Asian, White, Hispanic, and Black). Results of these analyses were congruent with existing literature. Of note in this study was the presence of a stair-step effect in the assignment of discipline consequences by student degree of economic disadvantage and student ethnicity/race. As such, the inequities delineated herein, may constitute violations of students' civil rights.
展开▼
