Document Type
Doctor of Education Capstone
Original Publication Date
2026
Date of Submission
May 2026
Abstract
Disproportionate discipline in public schools remains a persistent and complex challenge, particularly for Black and Hispanic students, male students, and students with disabilities. This capstone project examined patterns of racial discipline disproportionality within a large, suburban school division, referred to throughout the project as Polaris County Schools (PCS), to better understand the systemic conditions contributing to these disparities. Using a mixed-methods approach grounded in the Public Education Leadership Project (PELP) framework, the research team conducted document and literature analysis, school board observations, partner consultations, and a review of disaggregated discipline data. The team also engaged in external interviews with experts and practitioners and used an inductive/deductive hybrid approach with iterative team review to conduct an analysis and identify themes.
The six findings point to three main conditions for sustainable discipline reform: strong implementation infrastructure, leadership for change, and coherent systems. Sustainable progress depends on purposeful staffing, coaching, professional learning, and integration of restorative practices. Leadership is central. Leaders model relational behaviors, foster staff buy-in, and align systems toward equity. Coherence must be intentionally built and is achieved through robust data review, explicit communication, and by embedding discipline reform into existing systems rather than treating it as a separate initiative.
Findings informed five integrated, system-level recommendations designed to support PCS in reducing racial discipline disproportionality through coherent and sustainable reform. These include establishing a unified discipline framework, strengthening structural support for implementation, building leadership capacity for equity-focused decision-making, improving data systems for continuous improvement, and investing in relational culture and ongoing adult learning. Collectively, these recommendations emphasize alignment, consistency in adult practices, and the use of data and relationships to drive more equitable discipline outcomes across the division.
Rights
© The Authors
Included in
Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons