Slate, John R.2017-07-312017-07-312017-082017-05-05August 201http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11875/2221Purpose The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the extent to which differences were present in Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placement by student demographic characteristics for Grade 6, 7, and 8 students in Texas schools. In the first investigation, the degree to which Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placements differed by ethnicity/race (i.e., Black, Hispanic, White, and Asian) for Grade 6, 7, and 8 boys were examined. In the second investigation, the degree to which Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placements differed by ethnicity/race (i.e., Black, Hispanic, White, and Asian) for Grade 6, 7, and 8 girls were addressed. Finally, in the third study, the extent to which Disciplinary Alternative Education Program assignments differed by student economic status (i.e., Not Economically Disadvantaged, Moderately Poor, and Extremely Poor) for Grade 6, 7, and 8 students were determined. In each of these three articles, four years of Texas statewide data were analyzed. As such, this multiyear analysis permitted a determination of trends in the differential assignment of Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placements for Grade 6, 7, and 8 Texas students. Method A causal comparative research design was employed in this quantitative investigation in which four years of Texas statewide data were analyzed. All of the independent variables and the dependent variables had already occurred, thus precluding the possibility of controlling for any extraneous variables. Findings Results were remarkably consistent across all four school years and across all three grade levels. In each of the school years, Black boys and Black girls were assigned statistically significantly higher rates of Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placements than their Hispanic, White, or Asian peers. Hispanic boys and Hispanic girls also received statistically significantly higher rates of Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placements than their White and Asian peers. Regardless of ethnicity/race, students who were Extremely Poor had statistically significantly higher rates of Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placements than their peers who were Not Poor or who were Moderately Poor. The results of these studies were congruent with the existing literature regarding the presence of inequities in the assignment of Disciplinary Alternative Education Program placements.application/pdfenEconomic DisadvantageNot PoorModerately PoorExtremely PoorStudent Ethnicity/RaceBlackHispanicWhiteAsianWhiteGrade 6, 7, and 8Thesis2017-07-31