Elementary Administrators’ Perceptions Regarding Student Discipline

There are high rates of disciplinary issues present in urban elementary schools in the United States, and school administrators need more effective strategies for improvement. Researchers have found that exclusionary discipline practices like suspensions and expulsions are often overused, have questionable efficacy, and disproportionately affect minority students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore elementary school administrators’ perceptions of successes and challenges related to reducing the number of student disciplinary issues. Elements from instructional leadership theory formed the conceptual framework. Data were collected via individual semi-structured interviews with 10 certified elementary administrators in the southern United States who had been school administrators for at least 2 years. Each participant was asked to describe successes and challenges related to reducing student disciplinary issues. A priori, open, and axial coding were used to support thematic analysis. The participants indicated that it was important to form professional partnerships with teachers as they work to understand the needs of the elementary students and to create more manageable environments. The administrators need to help teachers create instructional strategies to support students in learning responsibility. The joint goals were to reduce students’ inappropriate behaviors and to help teachers handle issues in the classroom so fewer discipline referrals occur. Being both innovative and proactive is important. Districtwide programs for all teachers, administrators, and school communities need to be implemented. Potential positive social change implications that could arise from these findings include reducing behavior issues that interrupt learning for students in their classrooms.