Administrators' Perception of the Effectiveness of Trauma-Informed Practices in Disciplinary Decisions

This research study examined administrators’ perceptions of the effectiveness of trauma-informed practices in disciplinary decision-making. Ten elementary school assistant principals were interviewed about their experiences with trauma-informed practices following a student referral. The participants also submitted behavioral expectation matrices and discipline flowcharts for analysis. The participants recognized and valued the underlying elements of trauma-informed practices (relationships, context, support, and cultural factors). However, they lack a clear understanding of and processes for full implementation of trauma-informed practices into disciplinary decision-making. Given the increase in negative student behavior and teacher requests for support, more research is needed to identify a process(es) for administrative integration of trauma-informed practices related to discipline.