Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2922-####

Advisor

Williams, Frankie

Committee Member

Binford, Paul

Committee Member

McMullan, Leigh Ann

Committee Member

Tharp, Paula

Date of Degree

5-15-2026

Original embargo terms

Immediate Worldwide Access

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

Major

Education (P-12 Leadership)

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Education

Department

Department of Teacher Education and Leadership

Abstract

Racial disparities in exclusionary disciplinary outcomes remain consistently documented across United States public schools, with African American (AA) students disproportionately represented in in-school suspension (ISS) and out-of-school suspension (OSS) outcomes. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to examine whether statistically significant differences existed between (a) the percentage of students receiving ISS who were AA and (b) the percentage of students receiving OSS who were AA in selected Mississippi public high schools with high AA enrollment (≥70%) and low AA enrollment (≤30%) during the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 academic years. The study utilized archival, publicly available, school-level discipline and enrollment data reported through the Mississippi Department of Education School Report Card system. Independent-samples t tests were conducted to compare disciplinary composition percentages across the two enrollment classifications for each academic year. Statistical significance was evaluated at α = .05, and Cohen’s d effect sizes were calculated to assess the magnitude of observed differences. Results indicated statistically significant differences in OSS disciplinary composition outcomes in both academic years, with high–AA enrollment schools reporting higher mean percentages of students receiving OSS who were AA and effect sizes ranging from large to extremely large. Findings related to ISS disciplinary composition outcomes differed across academic years based on within-year comparisons of mean disciplinary composition percentages. During the 2022–2023 academic year, low–AA enrollment schools reported significantly higher ISS disciplinary composition percentages. During the 2023–2024 academic year, no statistically significant difference was identified between enrollment classifications, although a moderate effect size was observed. Because the study examined disciplinary composition rather than disproportionality, findings did not establish differential risk or causal relationships. The results indicated that mean disciplinary composition differed across enrollment classifications within a shared state accountability framework. Implications for school leaders and policymakers emphasize the importance of interpreting disciplinary composition outcomes within context when evaluating subgroup representation in exclusionary discipline. The study’s limitations centered on the limited availability of student-level data needed for more precise analysis.

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