Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education
Advisor
Diane E. Bryant
Committee Member
Carolyn S. Buckenmaier
Committee Member
Ronald P. Kern
Keywords
academic achievement, discipline, discipline referrals, middle school students, school counseling, school social work, social work services, students with disabilities, suspensions
Abstract
This study assessed the impact of social work services on middle school students with disabilities at a selected district in Louisiana. Students with disabilities who received multiple office discipline referrals and suspensions were referred for social work services assessment. Many had a mental health diagnosis. The majority of infractions were disrespect to authority, willful disobedience, class or school disruption, fighting, dangerous substance, and profanity. The goal of the study was to determine whether social workers adhered to the district’s benchmarks of quality guidelines during the assessment and intervention processes and to ascertain whether there was a decrease in office discipline referrals and suspensions after students participated in individual and group counseling sessions with a social worker. Four questions guided the research:
1. Do school social workers adhere to the district’s benchmarks of quality guidelines during the assessment phase?
2. Do school social workers adhere to the district’s benchmarks of quality guidelines during the intervention phase?
3. What is the impact of social work services on the number of office discipline referrals of students with disabilities?
4. What is the impact of social work services on the suspension rate of students with disabilities?
Archival data from the district’s compliance and discipline databases were used to answer research questions for middle school students with disabilities who received social work services intervention. Analysis of the data revealed that social workers received 90% or greater compliance with district expectations for assessment and intervention. Also, these students had fewer office discipline referrals and fewer out-of-school suspension days than students with disabilities who did not receive social work services intervention.
Six recommendations were suggested based upon the findings: (a) Extend the implementation to elementary and high schools; (b) offer social work services to students with disabilities who routinely engage in behaviors that interfere with academic achievement to decrease office discipline referrals and suspensions; (c) encourage school social workers, teachers, and parents to engage in consultation on an ongoing basis; (d) make the results of this study available to all stakeholders; (e) adhere to the staffing ratio of one school social worker to every 400 students per school to provide preventive support to students, faculty, staff, and parents; (f) support school social workers in the provision of adequate and timely follow up with students requiring social work service intervention.