A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF DISCIPLINARY CONSEQUENCE ASSIGNMENTS AND THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF TEXAS GRADE 3 THROUGH 8 STUDENTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION OVER TIME: A STATEWIDE ANALYSIS

Purpose

The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to examine the relationship of exclusionary discipline consequences assigned to Texas Grade 3 through 8 students enrolled in special education and their academic achievement during the 2012-2013 through the 2015-2016 school year. In addition, the relationship of exclusionary discipline assignments on the reading and mathematics achievement of students enrolled in special education over a 4-year period was examined. In the first investigation, the numbers and percentages of Texas Grade 3 through 8 students enrolled in special education who received a discipline consequence was examined. In the second study, the relationship of Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placement with the reading achievement of students enrolled in special education was investigated over a 4-year time period. Finally, in the third investigation, the relationship of Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placement with the mathematics achievement of students enrolled in special education was investigated over a 4-year time period

Method

In this investigation, a descriptive approach (Creswell, 2009) was used in which four years of Texas statewide data across six grade levels were analyzed. Archival data regarding Grade 3 through Grade 8 students who were enrolled in special education were analyzed here.

Findings

Results were fairly consistent across all four school years, across all six grade levels, and across all three articles in this journal-ready dissertation. For each exclusionary discipline assignment investigated, the percentage of students who were in special education and received exclusionary discipline assignments decreased across over the four years investigated, where the number of assignments received by students increased. Students who were in special education and received between 1-30 days in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placement had better STAAR Reading and Mathematics performance than students who received between 31-60 days and more than 60 days in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placement. Results discussed herein were consistent with the existing literature regarding the frequency and duration of disciplinary assignments received by students in special education and the influence of exclusionary discipline assignments on reading and mathematics performance.