Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human
Advisor
Janice Bevan
Committee Member
Jodi Lamb
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
administrators, behaviors, classroom discipline, committee, consequences, discipline, discipline committee, discipline logs, discipline plan, discipline policy, discipline referrals, evaluation, faculty members, failures, feedback, Florida, handbook, Hillsborough County, implementation, leaders, methodology, negative feedback, referrals, research, Roland Park K-8 School of Choice, rules, school improvement team, serious problems, SIT plan, staff development, staff training, students, successes, survey, suspensions, Tampa, teachers, training
Abstract
Roland Park K-8 School of Choice is a school in Hillsborough County in Tampa, Florida. The problem was that there had been a dramatic increase in discipline referrals and suspensions at Roland Park School from December 2001 to December 2002. This increase was apparent when the discipline logs and The School Improvement Team (SIT) plan were observed. The discipline logs and SIT plan demonstrated a sharp rise of 42% more referrals and suspensions at the school site from 2001 to 2002. Leaders needed to be on the same page when handling discipline and other behaviors across the school organization.
A research and evaluation methodology was used for this study. A survey was developed and implemented to determine what problems teachers and administrators perceive as the most serious, along with solutions. A discipline plan was developed for the school as well as a handbook used for training. The staff development plan includes recommendations for implementation and evaluation of the School Discipline Plan and staff training program.
The faculty members who volunteered their time on the Discipline Committee and completing surveys for this research all agree that the policy needs to be consistently followed in order for the plan to be effective. The students know the rules and consequences that follow and the administrators need to follow the discipline plan exactly as written.
Further research can be investigated after the implementation of the discipline plan has taken place. Research can take place if there is a need to change any negative feedback from the discipline plan. Faculty members can be surveyed again once the plan has been in place to note their successes and failures with the new plan.