EVALUATING EQUITY IN STUDENT DISCIPLINE: A PROGRAM EVALUATION OF POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SETTING

This program evaluation was a two-year Impact Assessment study , utilizing an explanatory case study design , of the PBIS program implemented at an urban elementary school in one Local Education Agency (LEA) in North Carolina. The revised PBIS program was designed to reduce race-based disparities in student discipline and to prioritize student exposure to academic instruction. Evaluation of the PBIS program focused on the desired outcomes identified by school stakeholders: reductions in overall student discipline referrals , reductions in racial disproportionality in student discipline , improvement in teacher perception of school-wide student discipline practice , and improvement in student perception of school connectedness and equity. Study participants included all students and staff members present at the participating school from the 2014-2015 through the 2016-2017 school years. This mixed-methods impact assessment utilized pre-program student discipline data together with pre-program Teacher Working Conditions Survey (TWCS) data. Pre-program data , where available , were compared to concluding data which included two-year statistical student discipline data , broken down by demographics , school year , student discipline referral type , and consequence. Additional study data included post-program TWCS data , together with student interviews presented in the form of vignettes exploring student perceptions of equity in student discipline practice throughout the study period. Triangulated data revealed substantial decreases in the risk indices of minority and special education students over the study period , as well as increased staff awareness regarding the importance of equity in student discipline and the availability of restorative practice as preemptive and culturally responsive alternatives to exclusionary discipline. Despite these positive outcomes , however , student discipline gaps persisted at the subject school , and staff survey data revealed concerns regarding clarity of expectation and consistency of practice. Implications for further program revision and the extension of culturally responsive classroom management and disciplinary response practices were considered