Date of Award
8-14-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Joseph Nichols
Committee Members
Annette Hux; Joan Henley; Kimberley Davis
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2020 C55
Abstract
The legalities associated with the discipline provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act continue to sustain a presence in public schools while administrators wrestle to know, understand, and implement these protections amidst the most litigious era surrounding the education of students with disabilities. Among district discipline policies, state and federal laws intersect creating a highly complex set of criteria in which to balance student rights in an equitable fashion. Knowledge of the laws governing the discipline provisions of IDEA and knowledge of the devastating impact of disproportionate discipline practices remains crucial in determining outcomes for students with disabilities. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the current knowledge level of Arkansas school administrators in regard to the discipline provisions of IDEA compared to several demographic variables. Additionally, the study sought to determine the perception of administrators in relation to the disproportionate representation of minority students with disabilities in exclusionary discipline. A Likert scale survey, including 24 items, was used to collect knowledge and demographic information. The survey was submitted to 1152 principals and assistant principals and 211 were returned, yielding an 18.3% response rate. Data were analyzed in two ways: descriptive and inferential statistics. The Analysis of Variances (ANOVA) test was utilized to determine if a statistically significant difference existed in the mean rating of administrators' knowledge responses, the dependent variable, and several independent variables. Results suggested a statistically significant difference in the knowledge level of participants by formal degree, school level, and perceptions of disproportionate representation. There is a need for clarification and additional professional knowledge among administrators in the discipline provisions of IDEA and disproportionate representation. Recommendations include providing further educational opportunities for administrators relative to this law. University programs are encouraged to consider including this as a basic curriculum component when preparing future school administrators. Lastly, education preparation programs should consider integrating a theoretical framework for identifying biased based beliefs throughout the curriculum. Administrators should have working knowledge and an understanding of social-based inequities that are present in today's society and the potential effects of disproportionate representation on post-school outcomes.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Cooper, Kimberly S., "Arkansas School Administrators’ Knowledge of the Discipline Provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act as It Relates to School Factors and Perceptions of Disproportionate Representation" (2020). Student Theses and Dissertations. 369.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/369
Included in
Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Special Education and Teaching Commons
