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Reforming student discipline policies in elementary schools: an improvement study

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Reforming student discipline policies in elementary schools: an improvement study

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Content Running head: REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 1

Reforming Student Discipline Policies in Elementary Schools: An Improvement Study
by
José Roberto González Molina

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2019

Copyright 2019 José Roberto González Molina
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 2

Dedication and Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I dedicate this dissertation to my other half, who became my fiancé
during this process. Your support and undeniable understanding during this laborious journey
allowed me to finish strongly and to make our family proud. Thank you for your patience, your
warmth when it was hard to stay motivated, and for your encouragement when I thought I would
fail. I love you, and I am so blessed you will be my wife on May 23, 2020.
I dedicate this to my parents. In 1989, you courageously chose to immigrate from El
Salvador to the United States, leaving behind family and a familiar world you had known since
childhood. I thank you for your sacrifices. I would not have been able to complete, let alone
apply, to this program without your courageous decision 30 years ago. This dissertation is a
testament to your struggle and my offering of appreciation for everything you have done and
continue to do for me. Los quiero mucho.
To Dr. Pelino, you became a teacher, I became a teacher. You got a master’s. I got a
master’s. You became principal. I became principal. You became a doctor. I became a doctor.
Thank you for paving the way, thank you for being my ultimate inspiration to strive for greatness
and to be an activist for our community. Thank you for being my role-model and for seeing in
me things I did not see before.
To my students, this dissertation is for us. I cannot wait to cheer you on at your future
graduations. Remember, with a si se puede attitude and your comunidad alongside you,
anything is possible.

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 3

Abstract
U.S. school discipline policies are increasingly punitive, and thus increase the rates of
suspensions and expulsions. Punitive school discipline policies inadvertently target low-income,
students of color at disproportionate rates compared to their White counterparts. The purpose of
this study was to recognize and categorize the resources needed to reduce office discipline
referrals at an elementary charter school. This study used Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis
framework to evaluate teachers to determine whether gaps existed in knowledge and motivation,
and to identify any organizational influences that might be producing the high rates of office
discipline referrals. Specifically, the study focused on the teachers’ use of a school-wide
behavior management system intended to effectively manage behaviors inside the classroom.
This study set out to learn how and what teachers knew about using the school-wide behavior
system. This study also sought to understand teachers’ perception of their capabilities of using
the behavior-management system effectively and their perceptions of effectiveness of the school-
wide system. The study set out to ascertain what types of strategies the organization employed
to support teachers in their effective use of the school-wide behavior management system. The
study consists of a literature review, qualitative interviews, and a program implementation plan.
As a result, it reveals needs relation to knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that
can increase teachers’ use of a behavior management system that could ultimately reduce office
discipline referral rates at the study’s site.

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 4

Table of Contents
Dedication and Acknowledgements ................................................................................................2
Abstract ............................................................................................................................................3
List of Tables .................................................................................................................................10
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................11
Introduction to the Problem of Practice .........................................................................................12
Background to the Problem ...........................................................................................................12
Organizational Context and Mission .............................................................................................14
Current School-Wide Behavior Management System ...................................................................16
Importance of Addressing the Problem .........................................................................................20
Organizational Performance Status................................................................................................21
Organizational Performance Goal..................................................................................................23
Stakeholder Group of Focus and Stakeholder Goal .......................................................................23
Purpose of the Project and Questions ............................................................................................24
Review of the Literature ................................................................................................................25
Discipline Trends in U.S. Public Schools ..........................................................................25
Implications of School Office Disciplinary Referrals .......................................................27
Effective School Discipline Practices ................................................................................29
Knowledge, Motivational, and Organizational Influences ................................................29
Knowledge Influences ...........................................................................................30
Trainings Focused on Procedural Knowledge Yield More........................31
Effective Teachers

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 5

Teachers Adjust and Improve Instructional and Pedagogical ....................32
Approaches When Engaged in Reflective Practices
Motivation Influences ............................................................................................33
Self-Efficacy Theory ..............................................................................................33
Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Impacts Effectiveness of Managing ....................34
Student Behaviors
Expectancy Value Theory ..........................................................................35
Teachers’ Regular Implementation of Techniques Relates .......................35
to Their Beliefs in The Program’s Effectiveness
Organizational Influences ......................................................................................37
Cultural Models and Cultural Settings .......................................................37
Cultural Setting: Purposeful and Targeted Teacher ...................................38
Professional Development
Cultural Setting: On-Going and Targeted Instructional and ......................39
Behavior Management Coaching
Conclusion .............................................................................................................40
Interactive Conceptual Framework .....................................................................................41
Data Collection and Instrumentation .............................................................................................44
Interviews ...........................................................................................................................44
Interview Protocol ..................................................................................................44
Interview Procedures .............................................................................................45
Data Analysis .................................................................................................................................46
Interviews ...........................................................................................................................46
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 6

Findings..........................................................................................................................................47
Purpose of the Project and Questions ................................................................................47
Participating Stakeholders .................................................................................................48
Research Question 1: What is teachers’ knowledge and motivation related .....................49
to effectively using the school-wide behavior management system?
Knowledge Influence Findings ..............................................................................49
Procedural Knowledge ...............................................................................49
Finding 1: Teachers were not aligned on school-wide ..............................50
expectations for student behaviors, and therefore did not
know how to use the clip chart system
Metacognitive Knowledge Findings ..........................................................53
Finding 2: Teachers’ reflections indicated feeling ineffective ..................53
due to a lack of behavior protocol follow through from school
administration
Finding 3: Teachers’ reflections indicated feeling ineffective ..................57
due to a lack of consistency in using the system across school
stakeholders
Finding 4: Teachers’ reflections indicated feeling ineffective ..................58
due to a lack of understanding the behavior management
system’s purpose
Motivational Influence Findings ............................................................................60
Self-Efficacy Findings ...............................................................................61
Finding 5: Teachers have low confidence and self-efficacy because ........61
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 7

they did not know how to effectively use the behavior] management
system
Utility Value Finding .............................................................................................65
Finding 6: Teachers believed the school-wide behavior management was ...........65
punitive and therefore ineffective
Finding 7: Teachers did not believe the school-wide behavior management ........66
system improved student behaviors
Research Question 2: What is the interaction between organizational culture and ...........68
context and stakeholder knowledge and motivation?
Organizational Findings .......................................................................................68
Finding 8: Teachers did not receive consistent professional .....................68
development on behavior management and felt that additional
training would support school-wide implementation of the behavior
management system
Components of Effective Behavior Management Trainings .................................72
Finding 9: Teachers did not receive coaching and feedback on ................73
behavior management and felt coaching would support school-wide
implementation of the behavior management system
Components of Effective Behavior Management Coaching .................................75
Solutions and Recommendations ...................................................................................................77
Behavior Management System Recommendations ...........................................................77
Knowledge Recommendations ..........................................................................................77

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 8

Increasing teacher’s knowledge of understanding how and when to ....................78
effectively implement the current school-wide behavior management
plan in their classrooms.
Increasing awareness of how effectively teachers implement the current .............79
school-wide behavior management system.
Motivation Recommendations ...........................................................................................80
Increasing teacher self-efficacy with behavior management through ...................81
goal-directed practice and feedback.
Increasing the value of effectiveness of the current school-wide behavior ...........82
management system.
Organizational Recommendations .....................................................................................83
Providing teachers with a behavior-management professional development ........84
program.
Providing teachers with behavior-management coaching. ....................................85
Limitations and Delimitations........................................................................................................86
Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................86
References ......................................................................................................................................89
Appendix A: Participating Stakeholders with Sampling Criteria for Interviews ..........................97
Appendix B: Interview Protocol ....................................................................................................99
Appendix C: Credibility and Trustworthiness .............................................................................101
Appendix D: Ethics ......................................................................................................................103
Appendix E: Email Correspondence for Teacher Recruitment ...................................................105
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 9

Appendix F: Email Correspondence Reply to Participants .........................................................106
Appendix G: Informed Consent Form .........................................................................................107
Appendix H: Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan Implementation and ...................109
Evaluation Framework

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 10

List of Tables
Table 1. California Comparison: Total Race Enrollment and Race Suspension Rate ...................14
Table 2. Student Composition in Venceremos Academy—Flagship Site .....................................15
Table 3. Student Behaviors, Actions, and Consequences Per Clip Chart Color ............................18
Table 4. Suspension Rates and Differences in Rates by Year, Venceremos .................................23
Academy–Flagship
Table 5. Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences on Teachers’ Use of ................41
a School-Wide Behavior Management System
Table 6. Teacher Information (Pseudonym, Grade-Level Range Assignment, and Years ............48
Teaching)
Table 7. Components for an Effective Behavior-Management Training as Mentioned by ...........73
Teachers
Table 8. Components for Effective Behavior-Management Coaching as Mentioned ...................76
by Teachers
Table 9. Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations ...........................................78
Table 10. Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations..........................................81
Table 11. Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations ......................................84
Table H1. Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes ......................111
Table H2. Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation .............................112
Table H3. Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors .........................................................113
Table H4. Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program ......................................117
Table H5. Components to Measure Reactions to the Program ....................................................118

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 11

List of Figures
Figure 1. School-wide behavior management clip-chart system outlining clip ............................17
movement and aligned student actions
Figure 2. Number of suspensions per school year at Venceremos Academies Flagship ..............22
Figure 3. Conceptual map of knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences ..................42

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 12

Introduction to Problem of Practice
In response to student misbehaviors, U.S. public schools frequently use suspensions as a
disciplinary strategy (Cameron, 2006). As a result, students are excluded from academic
instruction and other school-related activities (Christie, Nelson, & Jolivette, 2004). According to
the United States Department of Education (2016), public schools suspended over 6.5 million
students across the country in the 2011–2012 school year. Data indicate that schools suspend
students of color and students with disabilities at disproportionally higher rates. Black students
are three times more likely (USDOE, 2016) and Latino students are two times more likely (Sallo,
2011) to be suspended than their White counterparts. Schools with high percentages of students
of color are more likely to use suspensions at higher rates (Gordon-Ellis, 2016). Because student
removal from school means the loss of instructional minutes and decreases connections to
positive role-models, suspensions ultimately contribute to lower academic achievement and
school dropout rates (Shirley, 2013). As a result, suspensions perpetuate the historical racial
achievement gap in the United States (Gregory, Skiba, & Noguera, 2010). Petit and Western
(2004) explained how incarceration rates increase in correlation with reduced student
instructional minutes, instructional quality, and student outcomes. Suspensions, therefore, act as
a mechanism for maintaining the school-to-prison pipeline. Morris (2012) described the school-
to-prison pipeline as a course of criminalizing practices within educational spaces that produce
higher rates of youth incarceration.
Background to the Problem
A body of educational research addresses disciplinary approaches in U.S. public schools
and their impact on students. The academic literature considers historical trends and presents
research to analyze the high rates of disciplinary office referrals. Synthesis of the research
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 13

revealed four major themes: U.S. public school disciplinary systems remains largely reactionary;
students demonstrate low academic achievement with punitive discipline systems; adoption of
school-wide discipline plans reduces office referrals; and restorative practices reduce student
discipline in schools. Anderson (2010) described traditional school discipline as fundamentally
reactive. The reactionary approach stems from the administration of traditionally punitive
consequences: loss of privileges, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and corporal
punishment (Anderson, 2010). The punitive discipline system within U.S. public schools
disproportionately targets low-income students and students of color compared to White students
(González, 2012). According to González (2012), in the 2006–2007 school year, African
American students were suspended at higher rates than White students in every U.S. state. In
U.S. public schools, Latino students also faced disproportionately punitive disciplinary actions
compared to White students (González, 2012). Table 1 compares the enrollment percentages
with suspension rates in California schools among the three major student racial demographic
groups. The data, taken from the California Department of Education’s DataQuest database,
highlight the disproportionate rates of suspensions among student racial groups. Table 1
highlights how both Latino and Black students have higher rates of suspension in comparison to
their overall enrollment percentages compared to their White counterparts. Additionally, the
widespread adoption and enforcement of punitive disciplinary policies and systems in U.S.
public schools negatively impact student academic achievement (González, 2012; Greenwood,
Horton, & Utely, 2002; Morrison & D’Incau, 1997). However, Sugai and Horner (2007)
asserted that the adoption and implementation of school-wide discipline plans decrease office
discipline referrals by 40%-60%. González claimed that a school-wide discipline plan centered
on restorative practices had the most profound effect on lowering student suspension rates.
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 14

Table 1
California Comparison: Total Race Enrollment and Race Suspension Rate

White
Enrollment
White
Suspension
Latino
Enrollment
Latino
Suspension
Black
Enrollment
Black
Suspension
2011–2012 25.70% 21.10% 52.20% 54.70% 6.80% 16.00%
2012–2013 25.40% 20.90% 52.60% 54.70% 6.50% 16.10%
2013–2014 24.90% 20.60% 53.20% 54.70% 6.30% 16.40%
2014–2015 24.40% 20.90% 53.50% 54.00% 6.20% 16.40%
2015–2016 23.90% 20.60% 53.80% 54.10% 5.90% 16.40%
2016–2017 23.50% 20.40% 54.10% 54.90% 5.80% 15.50%
2017–2018 23.20% 19.90% 54.20% 55.30% 5.60% 15.10%

Organizational Context and Mission
Venceremos Academies, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, oversaw the
operation of four charter schools in the Bay Area. Through an academically rigorous dual-
immersion program, Venceremos Academies mission was to prepare all students for the
challenges of higher education, demonstrate high academic achievement, and apply critical
thinking skills to make sense of their role within their culture and society (Téllez, 2017).
According to the Venceremos Academies Charter Petition (2014), four key components allow
for the exceptional execution of desired results: great culturally relevant curriculum, strong
school culture, serving English and Spanish learners, and data-driven decision making. The
academic program offered a K–8 80:20 dual immersion model with 80% Spanish instruction and
20% English instruction in Kindergarten (Téllez, 2017). Ten percent of English instruction
incrementally increased each year until instruction reached 50:50 in third through eighth grade.
Venceremos Academies consistently ranked among the top three performing dual immersion
schools in California (Téllez, 2017). Additional noteworthy recognitions include the 2013
California Distinguished School, 2014 State Title 1 Academic Achievement Award, and the
2015 Hart Vision Charter School of the Year Award (Téllez, 2017).
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 15

Founded in 2007, Venceremos Academies Flagship school, was located in South East
San Pablo and authorized by the McKenzie School District. The Flagship School served 480
students in grades kindergarten through eight. The Flagship site served 92% Latino students, 4%
Black students, 2% Asian students, 1% Pacific Islander students, and 1% White students (Téllez,
2017). Table 2, below, shows the demographics of the student population at Venceremos
Academies Flagship site. The Flagship campus served 46% English Leaners, 66% free and
reduced lunch–eligible students, and 11% of students in special education (Téllez, 2017).
According to the 2013–2014 School Accountability Report, the average parent education level at
Venceremos Flagship was 2.57. The report explains how 17% of parents reported not a high
school graduate, 30% reported high school graduate, 34% reported some college, 16% reported
college graduate, and 3% reported graduate school (California Department of Education,
2015b). The teaching staff at Venceremos Academies Flagship site reflected the student
population. According to the California Department of Education’s School Staffing Report
(2015a), the school site employed 17 teachers. Of those teachers, 72% was Latino/a (12 total),
24% was White (4 total), and 5% (1 total) identified with more than one race.
Table 2
Student Composition in Venceremos Academy—Flagship Site
Race Whites Latino Black Asian Pacific
Islanders
Total
Enrollment 4 441 20 12 7 480
Percentage 1% 92% 4% 2% 1% 100%

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 16

Current School-Wide Behavior Management System
Venceremos Academies had developed a School-Wide Behavior Management Plan
Playbook. The Playbook outlines the philosophy, expectations, and the procedural knowledge
necessary to implement the system effectively. The Venceremos Academies Behavior
Management Playbook (2016) outlines the purpose of having a school-wide management system.
The purpose, as stated in the playbook, is abbreviated below:
The purpose of this play book is to ensure that all students and teachers have the same
clear understanding of high behavioral expectations. A clear and well-defined behavior
plan will create a positive and rigorous academic environment. Another purpose of the
Venceremos Behavior Plan is to provide clarity, structure, and support for students,
teachers, and leadership. It should provide clear expectations for student behavior and
teacher responses to each type of student behavior . . .At Venceremos we believe the
majority of behavior issues can be avoided with proactive management and strong
classroom cultures, and we believe that almost all behavior issues can be dealt with inside
the classroom. There will be a few, rare circumstances when issues will need to be dealt
with outside of the classroom, but all teachers follow the same procedure before reaching
this point.
The playbook also identifies potential pitfalls for using the behavior management incorrectly.
For example, the playbook lists teachers skipping steps in the Behavior Plan, such as sending
students directly to the office without implementing other steps as a potential pitfall. Ultimately,
sending students to the office undermines the consequence protocol and often results in the
student not being aware of why they were sent out of the classroom. Figure 1 represents the
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 17

current school-wide behavior management system known as the “clip-chart,” to which the
playbook refers.

Figure 1. School-wide behavior management clip-chart system outlining clip movement
and aligned student actions.

Table 3, below, summarizes each of the steps of the clip chart system including student actions
and behaviors. The table highlights how the clip chart system can be used both as an incentive
system and as a method to track negative behaviors and consequences. Taken from the
Playbook, the table, which outlines student behaviors, actions, and consequences, provides
insight into the information teachers receive and can be classified as a job aide. Professional
development took place in August, at which time teachers would attend a 2-hour workshop that
reviewed the playbook. In Table 3, the behaviors in blue, orange, and red are applicable at all
levels, while positive behaviors are applicable in both the yellow and purple sections of the clip
chart.
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 18

Table 3
Student Behaviors, Actions, and Consequences Per Clip Chart Color
Color Behaviors Student Action Consequence
Green Students meeting
expectations
Clip remains on green Not applicable
Blue Disengagement

Not following directions

Inappropriate
communication

Unprofessional Conduct

Disrespect to Peers

Direct disrespect of peers,
teacher, or classroom
environment (cursing, yelling,
screaming, ripping up work)

Causing or attempting to
cause physical harm to
another student

Blatant defiance of teacher

Compromising safety of self
or others (throwing materials,
chairs, desks, etc.)
Lower clip from blue to
green or yellow to green
Lose 3 minutes of
recess
Orange Lower clip from blue to
orange

Completes a think-it-
through sheet in another
classroom
Lose 5 minutes of
recess

Phone call home from
teacher
Red Lowers clip from orange
to red and student walks
directly to La Zona

Student walks into the
office and says, “I’m
here to reflect on my
behavior.” Office staff
presents students with a
clipboard and La Zona
reflections sheet.

Student completes La
Zona Reflection Sheet
and turns it into office
member who staples it
to the office referral.

Student brings home a
copy of the Office
Referral and La Zona
Reflection sheet home to
be signed.

One full recess taken
away (each day that it
is not returned is an
additional loss of full-
day recess)

Phone call home from
office
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 19

Yellow Student shows one of the
values: Empathy, Scholarship
or Sì Se Puede Attitude three
times in a week
Scholarship
• Student quality of work is
above and beyond.
• Student curiosity in a
subject (genuine questions
and interest) is above and
beyond.
• Student does significantly
more worked than asked,
and the extra work is
well-done.
• Student shows above and
beyond attention to
precision and detail in his
or her work.
• Student shows above and
beyond focus on his or
her academic goals.
• Student shows above and
beyond participation in
class (frequency, use of
academic language, etc.).
• Student shows above and
beyond example of
responsibility.
Sì Se Puede Attitude
• Student takes a risk.
• Student embraces a
challenge with
enthusiasm.
• Student encourages others
not to give up.
• Student shows above and
beyond determination or
perseverance.
• Student is positive or
patient during a possibly
negative situation.
• Student shows incredible
improvement on
something after doing
poorly at first.
Student moves clip up. Entire class cheers on
the student.

Student receives a
good character ticket
for the office raffle.

Choose play area of
choice at recess
Purple Student moves clip up First Time on Purple
Principal visits class
to personally
congratulate the
student

Student gets to choose
one piece of Voices
gear

Second Time on
Purple
Principal visits class
to personally
congratulate the
student

Student gets to choose
one piece of school
gear

Third Time on
Purple: Student earns
lunch with the
principal. Students
bring in their lunch to
the principal’s office
or in a designated
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 20

Empathy
• Student includes another
student who may have
been left out.
• Student exhibits quality of
leadership in group
activity.
• Student shows above and
beyond compassion or
care toward another.
• Student shows above and
beyond care for the
classroom/environment.
• Student stands up for
another student during an
unjust moment.
• Student shows genuine
gratitude toward a student
or teacher.
location and have
lunch with the
principal

Principal provides a
dessert treat.

Importance of Addressing the Problem
This dissertation will address the problem of high rates of misconduct-related office
referrals at Venceremos Academies Flagship site. At the time of this study, teachers at
Venceremos, from kindergarten through eighth grade, frequently sent their students out of the
classroom for disruptive or defiant behavior. According to the June 2017 Venceremos’s
Flagship Weekly Principal Newsletter, of the office referrals for the entire year, 69% was for
disruptive behavior and 23% was for defiant behavior. The most common disruptive behaviors
in the classroom included calling out, standing up, and talking (Miller, 2017). The trend with
office referrals at Venceremos mirrored what Skiba, Michael, Nardo, and Peterson (2000)
described as an outcome of zero-tolerance policies. Zero-tolerance policies increase punishment
and school exclusion in response to student disruptions, disrespect, and defiance (Skiba et al.,
2000). This problem negatively affects students as they lose out on instructional minutes, sever
teacher-student relationships, and strain positive classroom cultures. In order for Venceremos to
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 21

fulfill its mission and continue providing a rigorous dual-language program to everyone, students
must remain in the classroom and take advantage of the instructional minutes available. At the
time of this study, Venceremos Academies Flagship school had to reduce discipline office
referrals in order to support students’ receiving valuable instruction in preparation for higher
education. If the rate of discipline office referrals were to persist, student academic achievement
rates would suffer. The charter school’s reputation of academic success and high-achievement
would be impaired, resulting in a potential loss of both funding and possibilities for charter
expansion. If the rate of students sent out of classrooms persisted, student academic achievement
rates would be inadvertently harmed, contributing to the school-to-prison pipeline; in turn, the
successful, reputable, and high-achieving, dual-immersion charter school would not be
upholding its vision and mission for its students or for the community it served.
Organizational Performance Status
The organizational performance problem at the root of this study regards the high rates of
student office referrals at Venceremos Academies Flagship school. At the time of this study,
teachers at Venceremos, from kindergarten through eighth grade, frequently sent their students
out of the classroom for disruptive or defiant behavior. While there is no data tracker on the
number of office discipline referrals, the rates of suspensions shed light onto the problem, as
suspensions start with office discipline referrals. Figure 2, below, shows the number of
suspensions from the 2011–2012 school year to the 2018–2019 school year at Venceremos
Academies Flagship site.
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 22

Figure 2. Number of suspensions per school year at Venceremos Academies Flagship.
While recognizing the number of suspensions per year is significant, it must be noted
that, from the 2011–2012 school year to the 2018–2019 school year, the Flagship site increased
in enrollment because the school added a grade per year. The suspension rates, however,
demonstrate the percentage of students suspended in relation to overall enrollment. The yearly
suspension rates at Venceremos Academies Flagship site are shown below in Table 4. The
difference in rate further highlights the fluctuating nature of the suspension rates despite
enrollment numbers. Suspension rates show an increase during the last two school years, with
the 2017–2018 school year showing the biggest rate difference at almost 2% from the previous
year. The 2% difference in the year came as a result of an additional 10 suspensions, despite
enrollment dropping by three students.

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 23

Table 4

Suspension Rates and Differences in Rates by Year, Venceremos Academy–Flagship

School Year Total Enrollment Total Suspensions Suspension Rate Rate Difference
2011–2012 323 1 0.30% + 0.30
2012–2013 360 1 0.30% 0.00%
2013–2014 397 3 0.80% + 0.50%
2014–2015 449 5 1.10% + 0.30%
2015–2016 488 9 1.00% - 0.10%
2016-–2017 491 8 1.20% + 0.20%
2017–2018 488 18 3.10% + 1.90%

Organizational Performance Goal
Venceremos Academies Flagship site’s goal was that, by June 2020, the school would
reduce office discipline referrals by 80%. The School Leadership Team (SLT), composed of the
principal, dean of culture, instructional coach, business manager, student services manager, and
teacher on special opportunity, established this goal after a reflection meeting on the 2016–2017
school year office discipline referral data. The achievement goal to reduce office discipline
referrals were measured by monthly tracking reports of office referrals from the school’s data
system.
Stakeholder Group of Focus and Stakeholder Goal
While the joint efforts of all stakeholders would contribute to reaching the overall
organizational goal of an 80% reduction in school discipline referrals, it is important to recognize
the role of direct-service stakeholders in its realization. Therefore, the stakeholders of focus for
this study were Venceremos Academies Flagship teachers. The stakeholders’ goal was that, by
June 2020, Venceremos Academy’s Flagship teachers would commit themselves to effectively
implementing the school-wide behavior management system. The stakeholder goal implies that,
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 24

with teachers’ effective implementation of the discipline system in place, the organization would
be able to reduce office discipline referrals by 80%.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project was to conduct a gap analysis to examine the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences that interfered with the organizational goal of an 80%
reduction of office discipline referrals at Venceremos Academies Flagship site. The analysis will
begin by generating a list of possible—or assumed—interfering influences that will be examined
systematically to focus on actual or proven interfering influences. While a complete gap analysis
would focus on all stakeholders, for practical purposes, the stakeholder to be focused on in this
analysis is Venceremos Academies’ teachers.
The questions that guided the gap analysis addressing knowledge and skills, motivation,
and organization causes and solutions for Venceremos Academies’ teaching staff are as follows:
1. What are teachers’ knowledge and motivation related to effectively using the school-
wide behavior management system?
2. What is the interaction between organizational culture and context and stakeholder
knowledge and motivation?
3. What are the recommended knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational
solutions?

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 25

Review of the Literature
This literature review will examine the high rates of office discipline referrals in U.S.
public schools. This chapter begins with general research on traditional approaches to school
discipline and the disproportionate targeting of certain students. What follows is an overview of
the impact of traditional school discipline methods on student achievement. The review then
presents a discussion of the effectiveness of implementing a school-wide discipline plan to
reduce office-discipline referrals and of efforts to positively reintegrate students into the school
community. Following the general research, this chapter will review the role of teachers in
employing the Clark and Estes Gap Analytic Framework and elucidate the lens of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences this study used. This section includes a discussion of
the teachers’ knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences on student disciplinary
referrals.
Discipline Trends in U.S. Public Schools
In U.S. public schools, student discipline remains largely reactionary and punitive
(Anderson, 2010; Cameron, 2006; Noguera, 2003). Traditional school discipline systems
employ quick punishments as solutions to immediate behavior problems (Anderson, 2010).
Administrations that use reactionary school discipline seek to remain in control of students as
situations and student misbehavior occur (Noguera, 2003). Cameron (2005) connected the
reactionary nature of school discipline to administrations’ use of punitive consequences: loss of
privileges, in-school suspension (ISS), out-of-school suspension (OSS)—even corporal
punishment. Therefore, teachers and administrators relying on negative consequences and
punishments remain in control of students (Anderson, 2010; Cameron, 2006). The ease of
administrating negative consequences and punishments allows teachers and administrators to
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 26

implement swift discipline on a school level (Cameron, 2005; Noguera, 2003). The need for
control and ease of administrating punishments has made penal, reactionary school discipline the
standard and favored approach to managing problems in U.S. schools. The constant need to
control students has left schools to adopt zero-tolerance policies for misbehavior.
The rise in “zero-tolerance policies” in U.S. public schools has produced a marked
increase in suspension and expulsion rates (Rudd, 2014; Skiba, 2014). Skiba asserted that over
the past 20 years, fear for the welfare of children has led to a no-nonsense approach to school
discipline. As a result, many U.S. schools have adopted zero-tolerance policies to protect
schools and communities (Skiba, 2014). Zero-tolerance policies operate with two fundamental
beliefs: (a) harsh punishments reduce student misbehavior, and (b) removing students with the
most serious misbehaviors improves the school climate (Skiba, 2014). Skiba explained that
zero-tolerance policies were initially developed to target the most serious behaviors—like
bringing a gun, fighting, or doing drugs; however, schools have expanded the scope of serious
behaviors to include such misdeeds as defiance, disrespect, even dress code violations. With
these fundamental ideals and expanding behavioral criteria, school suspensions and expulsions
rates have steadily increased over the years, even for the most trivial infractions (Rudd, 2014;
Skiba, 2014). In 2012, of California’s 710,000 school suspensions, 48% were for “willful
defiance,” which included refusing to take off a hat or turn off a cellphone, or failing to wear a
school uniform (Rudd, 2014). Students in U.S. public schools, however, are experiencing the
reactionary punitive systems at unequal rates.
Punitive school discipline systems disproportionately target and impact male students and
students of color, with Black students being the most impacted (Fabelo, Thompson, Plotkin,
Carmichael, Marchbanks, & Booth, 2011; González, 2012; Noguera, 1995; Rudd, 2014). Black
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 27

students are three times more likely than White students to be reprimanded, suspended, or
expelled for minor misbehaviors like insubordination and disruptions (Fabelo et al., 2011; Rudd,
2014). In the younger grades, Black kindergarten students are regularly suspended and expelled
for talking back to teachers or writing on their desks (Rudd, 2014). González noted how this
disproportionality is nationwide: there was no state in which Black students were not suspended
more often than White students in the 2016–2017 school year. Latino students experienced
unequal application of discipline policies in 42 U.S. states (González, 2012). Rudd recognized
the gender-biases of the discipline systems, highlighting how 20% of Black male students were
suspended at least once in 2011—a rate six times higher than male and female White students.
Noguera (1995) noted the irony of the ubiquity of punitive discipline systems in U.S. schools.
Administrators primarily use harsh punishments for their symbolic value—to reassure parents
and the community that they take strong actions to address school disorder; though research
shows that punitive systems are ineffective in improving student behavior (Noguera, 1995).
Implications of School Office Disciplinary Referrals
A significant body of research has indicated that reactive and exclusionary discipline
systems are ineffective and, in fact, increase—rather than improve—problem behavior
(Bowditch, 1993; Dupper & Dingus, 2008; Fabelot et al., 2014; González, 2012; Skiba &
Peterson, 1999). The goal of establishing an effective school discipline is for students to learn
from their misbehaviors, take ownership of their actions, and reduce reoccurring misbehaviors
(Anderson, 2010). However, Gonzalez (2012) summarized research indicating how suspension
are not effective in reducing problem behaviors despite the common and favored practice.
Fabelo et al.’s (2011) longitudinal study found that students who were suspended once likely
were suspended again, suggesting that suspensions correlate with continued or worsened
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 28

behavior; such behaviors include passive-aggressiveness, truancy, vandalism, and overt
aggression (Bowditch, 1993; Dupper & Dingus, 2008). Bowditch associated the continued
misbehavior to increased frustration, resentment, and disengagement from school and school
administration. Suspensions have also impacted school climate as exclusionary discipline
practices contribute to heightened school disorder and a lack of safety among students (Skiba &
Peterson, 1999).
Punitive discipline systems require students to leave the classroom, and thus negatively
impact student academic achievement (González, 2012; Morrison & D’Incau, 1997; Shirley,
2013). Exclusionary discipline practices reduce affected students’ exposure to academic
instruction for minutes, hours, or days, depending on the severity of the consequence
(Greenwood et al., 2002; Kinsler, 2013). Morrison and D’Incau’s research revealed that
suspended students generally had below-average grades and low achievement scores on
standardized tests, with grade point averages at 1.45 or D+. School removal through suspensions
also reduced student access to positive role models, contributing to higher dropout rates among
suspended students (Shirley, 2013). Ten percent of dropouts in Denver Public Schools had been
suspended at least once in the 2015–2016 school year (González, 2012). In 2009, the Southern
Poverty Law Center reported an annual average dropout rate of 6.9% for each grade in high
school in Louisiana, totaling more than 14,000 students in one year. The report found that the
school system’s disproportionate reliance on punitive discipline and referrals to law enforcement
contributed to the high dropout rates. Rudd (2014) found that students with high suspension and
expulsion rates were more likely to be involved with the criminal justice system. Black and
Hispanic students encompassed 70% of all law enforcement referrals and arrests (Rudd, 2014).

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 29

Effective School Discipline Practices
According to some researchers, school-wide discipline approaches improved student
behavior and school culture (Cohen, Kincaid & Childs, 2007; Irvine, Tobin, Sprague, Sugai, &
Vincent, 2004; Sugai & Homer, 2007). School-wide discipline plans commit a school
community to explicitly teach and reinforce acceptable student behaviors (Irvine et al., 2004).
Cohen et al. (2007) described the components of an effective school-wide discipline system: a
written purpose, clear expectations, specific rules, procedures for encouraging compliance, and
systems to discourage misbehaviors. With constant teaching, reinforcement, and praise for
expected behaviors, student misbehaviors decrease, thus improving school culture (Irvine et al.,
2004). Sugai and Homer (2007) noted that schools experienced a 40% to 60% reduction in
office referrals with the implementation of a school-wide behavior system. After 2 years of
implementing a school-wide discipline plan, an urban elementary school saw a 46% drop in
office referrals (McCurdy, Mannella, & Eldridge, 2003). School-wide behavior systems could
come in the form of restorative practices (González, 2012). In Denver Public Schools, school
office discipline referrals declined in elementary, middle, and high schools by 30% to 100% with
the implementation of restorative practices after 2 years (González, 2012).
Knowledge, Motivational, and Organizational Influences
Recognizing knowledge, motivation, and organizational barriers, Clark and Estes’s
(2008) research-based approach to solving problems has been shown to increase organizational
effectiveness. Clark and Estes have provided a framework to implement organizational change
through the identification of performance gaps. Clark and Estes suggested that education and
training can improve knowledge gaps, while developing a motivational climate can improve
organizational motivation. Analyzing factors hindering organizational goals aids in uncovering
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 30

the root of performance gaps and helps to develop strategic solutions (Clark & Estes, 2008).
This section will discuss the assumed knowledge, motivation, and organization influences on
teachers’ ability to commit to implementing a behavior management system. These assumed
influences on performance will be examined through the methodology presented in Chapter 3.
Knowledge influences. When an employee possesses the knowledge and skills to
perform, the organization has the expertise it needs to achieve organizational goals (Rueda,
2011). The knowledge and skills employees possess yield higher job performance and an
increased ability to problem solve within the workplace (Clark & Estes, 2008). In turn, the
knowledge and skills that employees in an organization do not possess can contribute to an
organizational performance problem. Krathwohl (2002) and Rueda (2011) classified knowledge
types into four categories: factual, procedural, conceptual, and metacognitive. The different
types of knowledge refer to cognitive domain levels in Bloom’s Taxonomy, which move from
concrete to more complex and abstract (Bloom, Engelhart, Furst, Hill, & Krathwohl, 1956). This
study focused on two knowledge influences: procedural knowledge and metacognition.
Procedural knowledge and metacognition were used to specifically examine the knowledge and
skill factors that underpinned how teachers at Venceremos Academies used the school-wide
behavior management system with fidelity. Rueda (2011) asserted how procedural knowledge
outlines what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Procedural knowledge outlines methods of
inquiry, criteria for using skills, algorithms, and knowledge to determine when to use appropriate
procedures (Krathwohl, 2002). Metacognitive knowledge, the last domain of Bloom’s
Taxonomy, refers to an individual’s ability to reflect on his or her thinking, learning, and growth
(Krathwohl, 2002; Rueda, 2011). Baker (2006) defined metacognition as an individual’s self-
awareness and control of the cognitive process. The subsequent literature review focuses on
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 31

knowledge influences that could have been affecting the success of Venceremos Academies
goal; specifically, I researched the procedural and metacognitive knowledge (Krathwohl, 2002)
of school teachers.
Trainings focused on procedural knowledge yield more effective teachers. Teachers
with procedural knowledge have implemented strategies more frequently, thus enhancing
instructional practice (Jackman, 2003; Theriot & Tice, 2009). Jackman’s study of 44 M.A.
candidates at Johns Hopkins University further correlated with the Theriot and Tice findings.
The study focused on the effectiveness of behavior management strategies based on trainings
that included the application of knowledge (Jackman, 2003). Study data revealed that teachers
who participated in trainings that included the application of strategies yielded higher-quality
classroom management materials and more successful behavior management systems (Jackman,
2003). Jackman’s study emphasized the importance and effectiveness of including procedural
knowledge in teacher professional development trainings. Teachers who were taught how to
implement behavior management strategies were more effective in the classroom (Jackman,
2003; Theriot & Tice, 2009).
Teacher trainings focused on developing procedural knowledge increased behavior
management within the classroom (Brophy, 1988; Rogers, 2009; Rosenberg & Jackman, 2000).
Teachers who know how to apply and implement behavior management knowledge saw a
reduction in office referrals and increased instructional time (Rosenberg & Jackman, 2000). In
contrast, Rogers’s study found that teachers who lacked the ability to use behavior strategies and
techniques consistently wrote office discipline referrals rather than handling incidents within the
classroom. Rogers found how teachers with procedural knowledge about behavior management
were more effective in the classroom as they maximized instructional minutes. Teacher
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 32

effectiveness within the classroom improves when teacher preparation and training include the
development of procedural knowledge. As a result, Brophy (1988) recommended that teacher
trainings embody an integrated approach: exposure and application of management techniques.
Teachers adjust and improve instructional and pedagogical approaches when engaged
in reflective practices. Reflective practices result in increased knowledge development of
teachers (Sebren, 1995). Sebren studied preservice teachers in the reflective component of a
methods course. The study revealed a correlation between reflective practice and an increase in
teacher knowledge. Teachers identified specific areas in which knowledge structures increase:
classroom management knowledge, subject-matter knowledge, and knowledge of the learner
(Sebren 1995). As a result of their knowledge development through reflective practices, teachers
changed their behavior inside the classroom.
Involving teachers in reflective activities can produce growth or change in pedagogical
practice, classroom management, and teacher mindsets (LoCasale-Crouch, 2007; Nolen &
Hillkirk, 1991; Sebren, 1995; Zellermayer, 1990). Nolen and Hillkirk were able to confirm that
the behavior of teachers changed as a result of year-long reflection projects. Areas that changed
included: questioning behavior, classroom management, use of different teaching strategies,
greater use of techniques to increase student understanding, and elements of lesson design.
Similarly, LoCasale-Crouch’s study researched the impact of mentor-guided written reflections
on video-taped lessons. The study revealed how teachers engaging in reflective written practices
with videotaped lessons showed increased effectiveness in key teaching components: classroom
management and instruction. Zellermayer’s study further highlighted how reflective practices
had an impact on teacher mindsets. According to the study, teachers experienced a change in
knowledge and attitudes toward themselves, their students, and their approach to teaching.
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 33

Motivation influences. When striving toward a goal, the motivation an individual
possesses largely impacts the ability to achieve the desired outcome. Clark and Estes (2008)
defined motivation as an internal, psychological process that initiates a task, maintains the task’s
movement, and finishes the task. Motivation maintains focus, momentum, and engagement from
the initiation of a task to when the outcome has been achieved (Mayer, 2011). The momentum
an individual has is a result of an individual’s perception of him or herself as a learner and
achiever that motivation develops (Rueda, 2011). As a result, motivated employees perform at
higher levels and actively contribute to an organization’s goals toward achieving a collective
vision (Jensen, 2012). Therefore, when organizations experience performance problems,
considering motivational influences and constructs supports in identifying key organizational
needs and issues (Rueda, 2011). When examining the motivational factors contributing to an
organizational problem of practice, three components should be considered: active choice,
persistence, and mental effort (Clark & Estes, 2007; Mayer, 2011; Rueda, 2011).
Active choice refers to an individual’s personal choice to initiate a task, while persistence
relates to working consistently despite distractions and obstacles (Clark & Estes, 2007). Mental
effort refers to investing effort in achieving a goal, working smarter, and developing novel
solutions (Kirschner, Kirschner, & Paas, 2006). This study focused on two motivational areas
of research: self-efficacy theory and expectancy value theory. Self-efficacy theory and
expectancy value theory were used to specifically examine the motivational factors behind
Venceremos Academies teachers’ use of the school-wide behavior management system with
fidelity.
Self-Efficacy Theory. Bandura (1991) defined self-efficacy as a foundational component
of motivation because efficacy promotes positive behaviors, mindsets, and outcomes to achieve a
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 34

goal. Self-efficacy implies that individuals believe they can perform a behavior. As a result,
individuals with a high sense of self-efficacy have the motivation to actively choose, persist, and
invest mental effort (Bandura, 1991). Bandura outlined three influences that develop self-
efficacy: mastery experience, social persuasions, and vicarious experiences. Mastery experience
occurs when an individual has a positive performance outcome (Bandura 1991). Individuals
believe and trust their capabilities once experiences confirm that they have been successful.
Social persuasion refers to the increase in self-efficacy as a result of positive feedback (Bandura,
1991). Learning can occur through various experiences, for example, by observing people’s
behavior and its consequences for them (Bandura, 1991). However, for the vicarious experience
to be effective, the person of comparison must be similar in ability.
Teachers self-efficacy impacts effectiveness of managing student behaviors. Teachers’
perceptions of their ability to manage student behaviors align with their levels of self-efficacy
(Giallo & Little, 2003; Martin, Linfoot, & Stephenson, 1999). Giallo and Little studied the
connection between teacher preparedness for managing behaviors and teacher self-efficacy.
Giallo and Little’s study of 54 elementary teachers in Australia revealed how teachers’ higher
perceptions of being prepared to manage classroom behaviors correlated with higher self-
efficacy. Teacher confidence increased as a result of self-perceptions of being adequately
prepared to manage behaviors in the classroom; likewise, lower self-efficacy yielded ineffective
behavior management inside the classroom.
Martin et al. (1999) studied how teachers responded to misbehaviors in the classroom and
their relation to perceived capabilities. Participants in the study included kindergarten through
second-grade teachers from 21 elementary schools. The study revealed a connection between a
teacher’s self-efficacy, his perceptions of student behaviors, and his approach to supporting
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 35

students with specific disruptive behaviors (Martin et al., 1999). Martin et al. highlighted how
teachers with lower self-efficacy were more likely to administer office discipline referrals, refer
students to other school personnel, or send students to the office. The teachers’ confidence and
belief in managing disruptive behaviors resulted in isolation-oriented behavior management
strategies. Therefore, teachers doubting their behavior management skills become impotent in
solving problems in the classroom environment.
Expectancy Value Theory. Eccles (2006) defined expectancy value theory as the extent
to which individuals believe accomplishing a goal will positively contribute to a person’s
personal or professional life. Expectancy refers to the likelihood that the behavior will have a
successful outcome, that one will achieve the desired goal. As a result of a potential personal or
professional gain, expectancy value contributes to the motivation individuals need to begin,
persist, and complete a goal (Eccles, 2006). Eccles (2006) and Rueda (2011) identified four
specific values individuals attribute to a task: intrinsic value, attainment value, utility value, and
cost value. Intrinsic value refers to how positive an individual expects to feel during a task,
while attainment value deals with an individual’s aspiration of who she wants to be (Eccles,
2006; Rueda, 2011). Utility value concerns how an individual determines how a task will satisfy
a plan, and cost considers the time, energy, and emotion a task requires to be accomplished
(Eccles, 2006; Rueda, 2011).
Teachers’ regular implementation of techniques relates to their beliefs in the
program’s effectiveness. Research highlights how teachers’ beliefs about the effectiveness of
instructional programs, behavior management techniques, and pedagogical practices impacts the
frequent of their use in the classroom (Barakat, 2014; Biggs, Vernberg, Twemlow, Fonagy &
Dill, 2008). A teacher’s belief in the effectiveness of a program, practice, or technique relates to
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 36

Rueda’s (2011) and Eccles’s (2006) utility value of intrinsic motivation. When teachers believe
that an approach is effective, they are creating intrinsic value in that utility because it will
support student behavioral or academic achievement. Thus, the practice is effective because
teachers believe the technique facilitates behavior management.
Fidelity of implementation correlates with belief in usefulness and effectiveness (Barakat,
2014; Biggs et al., 2008). Barakat conducted a study of 33 teaching staff members and six
behavioral staff members from a New Jersey private school education department. The study
focused on teachers’ attitudes, uses, and perceived support of administration on the
implementation of two different behavior management program. Research findings reveal that
teachers implemented one behavior management program more than another because of its
perceived effectiveness (Barakat, 2014). Barakat’s study highlights how teachers implement
programs more consistently when they perceive programs as useful and effective.
A 3-year study of three elementary schools’ program implementation sheds light on the
connection between utility and implementation fidelity (Biggs et al., 2008). Biggs et al. studied
the relationship between teacher fidelity to implementing a school-based violence prevention
program, Creating a Peaceful School Learning Environment (CAPSLE), and teacher beliefs
about the effectiveness of the program. Biggs et al. revealed how teacher implementation
related to perceptions of program utility. Survey results indicate how teachers’ beliefs about the
capacity of a program to positively affect student achievement impacted its overall use in the
classroom. Additionally, findings suggest how consistency between teachers’ personally held
beliefs and the goals of the intervention program also impacted implementation fidelity (Biggs et
al., 2008).

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 37

Organizational Influences. Considering motivational and knowledge gaps within an
organization supports the diagnosis of a performance gap (Clark & Estes, 2008). Organizations
must have effective work processes and adequate resources to achieve a specific goal.
Organizational influences must also be considered when diagnosing a performance gap (Clark &
Estes, 2008). Clark and Estes described organizations as complex systems that develop and
maintain particular cultures. The complexity of organizational culture makes diagnosing
organizational gaps difficult to pinpoint and address effectively. Rueda (2001) and Clark and
Estes highlighted the urgency of diagnosing and addressing organizational influences. While
organizations may have motivated and knowledgeable staff, unaddressed organizational barriers
lead to underperformance and low performance goal attainment (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda,
2001).
Cultural models and cultural settings. According to Schien (2010), organizational
culture can be defined as a pattern of shared basic assumptions learned by a group that has
worked well enough to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel.
Clark and Estes (2008) have described culture as a dominant force in an organization and is
influenced and strengthened through goals, beliefs, emotions, processes, and core values.
Organizational culture therefore influences how individuals think and how individuals behave.
Two areas of organizational influence that affect stakeholders and the organization in
accomplishing their goal include cultural models and cultural settings.
Rueda (2011) defined cultural models as the shared mental schema of how an
organization functions through values, practices, policies, and reward structures. Cultural
settings are the visible aspects of an individual’s behavior within social contexts where the
policies and practices of an organization are enacted (Rueda, 2011). Cultural settings are
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 38

concrete and include the employees, their tasks, how and why tasks are completed, and the social
context in which their work is performed. The cultural model and setting of an organization are
relational and dynamic not independent and isolated (Rueda, 2011). This section of the literature
review will explore the organizational-cultural influences necessary for teachers to consistently
implement the school-wide behavior management system.
Cultural setting: Purposeful and targeted teacher professional development. Arbuckle
and Little (2004) and Giallo and Little (2003) showed that teachers reported lack of preparation
and skills to manage students with difficult behaviors. By turns, research highlights how
providing teachers with professional development in behavior and classroom management leads
to more effective classrooms (Behnke, 2006; Giallo & Hayes, 2007; Korb, Selzing-Musa, &
Skinner-Bonat, 2016); Marzano, Marzano, & Pickering, 2003).
Behnke’s (2006) study evaluated the impact of a brief in-service training program on the
classroom behavior management skills of teachers. The one, 3-hour training focused primarily
on providing teachers with management strategies to aid in preventing off-task student behavior.
After receiving the training teachers used the newly learned behavioral management strategies in
the classroom. The research findings showed that brief and proactive trainings yielded more
skilled teachers in addressing classroom behavior management needs (Behnke, 2006). Giallo
and Hayes’s (2007) study mirrored the findings in Behnke’s (2006) study. Giallo and Hayes’s
study evaluated the effectiveness of a teacher professional development program on behavior
management techniques. Teachers rated the program highly, reporting increased knowledge and
skills in managing disruptive student behavior (Giallo & Hayes, 2007). Additionally, study data
showed a connection between teachers using more positive strategies with students and the
reduction of punishments (Giallo & Hayes, 2007). Korb et al.’s (2015) study also revealed shifts
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 39

from a punitive behavior management style to a more proactive approach after teachers
participated in an in-service training on effective classroom management strategies.
Cultural setting: On-going and targeted instructional and behavior management
coaching. Rush and Shelton (2011) defined coaching as an adult learning strategy in which the
coach promotes the learner’s ability to reflect on instructional actions to determine effectiveness
and develop a plan for refinement. Furthermore, research highlights how behavior management
coaching yields improved classroom management and decreased student misbehaviors (Butler,
2014; Garcia, 2015; Sperry, 2000).
Butler’s (2014) study investigated how professional development, coupled with coaching
on managing challenging behavior, impacted both student and teacher behavior. Participants in
the study included five general education teachers and five specific students in those classrooms.
Teachers engaged in various workshops and participated in behavior management-focused 30-
minute coaching sessions once a week. Findings revealed a decrease in challenging student
behavior once coaching conversations were introduced (Butler, 2014). Butler connected the
reduction of challenging behavior to improved teacher skill. With coaching conversations,
teachers demonstrated greater comfort and confidence in implementing behavior management
strategies that resulted in large reductions in problem behavior (Butler, 2014). Butler’s findings
are consistent with Garcia’s (2015) study.
Garcia (2015) examined the relationship between performance feedback and use of
targeted classroom management practices. The study also explored the relationship between
performance feedback and student behavioral outcomes (Garcia, 2015). Participants included
five teachers from an urban school district in Southern California who engaged in performance
feedback sessions once a week for 10-weeks on classroom management practices and student
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 40

engagement. Study findings reveal a relationship among feedback, fidelity to implementing
specific classroom management practices, increased student engagement, and decreased
disruptive student behavior (Garcia, 2015). Similar trends emerged in Sperry’s (2000) study of
preschool teachers and students. Sperry examined the effectiveness of coaching in increasing
teacher use of classroom management strategies for the prevention and management of problem
behaviors in preschool-aged students. Sperry’s participants included six preschool teachers, six
specific preschool students, and a sample of 57 preschool students. Study findings highlight how
coaching increased teacher use of classroom management strategies with preschool children; as a
result, positive changes in social play behavior of preschool children were also observed.
Sperry’s, Garcia’s, and Butler’s studies show how coaching teachers on classroom behavior
management improves classroom environments and student behaviors.
Conclusion. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the degree to which Venceremos
Academies was achieving its goal of reducing office discipline referrals and increasing teachers’
use of the school-wide behavior management system. The literature review presents general
information about how teachers learn best, what motivates teachers to use a specific strategy, and
effective school-based approaches for increasing teachers’ capacity to implement certain
strategies. While the bulk of the literature focuses on teacher skill in relation to behavior
management, some literature focuses on pedagogical and instructional skills.
Following the general literature review, this section outlines information about the
knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences on teachers to effectively use a specific
school-based behavior management strategy to reduce office discipline referrals. Table 5 shows
these influences to support a conceptual framework that illustrates the connection between these
influences on the stakeholders’ and organization’s ability to meet the goals. Table 5 provides a
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 41

summary of the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences guiding this study.
Table 5
Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational Influences on Teachers’ Use of a School-Wide
Behavior Management System
Organizational Mission
Venceremos Academies will prepare all students for the challenges of higher education
through the context of an academically rigorous dual-language program. In addition, we will
ensure that students demonstrate high academic achievement and apply critical thinking s
kills while making sense of their role within their own culture and greater society.
Organizational Global Goal
Venceremos Academies Flagship Site’s goal is that, by June 2020, the school will reduce
office discipline referrals by 80%. The School Leadership Team (SLT), composed of the
principal, dean of culture, instructional coach, business manager, student services manager,
and teacher on special opportunity, established this goal after a reflection meeting of the 2016–
2017 school year. The achievement goal to reduce office discipline referrals will be measured
by monthly tracking reports of office referrals from the school’s data system.
Stakeholder Goal
By June 2020, Venceremos Academy Flagship teachers will effectively implement the school-
wide behavior management system with fidelity.
Assumed Knowledge Influences Influence Type
Teachers need knowledge on how and when to effectively implement the
current school-wide behavior management plan in their classrooms.
Procedural
Knowledge
Teachers need to reflect on how effectively they implement the school-
wide behavior management system to improve implementation.
Metacognitive
Knowledge
Assumed Motivational Influences Influence Type
Teachers need to believe that that behavior-management system is
effective.
Utility Value
Teachers need to believe they are capable of implementing the school-wide
behavior management system.
Self-Efficacy
Assumed Organizational Influences Influence Type
Teachers need ongoing professional development on behavior management
plan implementation.
Cultural Setting
Teachers need ongoing feedback and coaching on behavior plan
implementation throughout the year.
Cultural Setting

Interactive Conceptual Framework
As a research topic, school discipline is a broad topic. Maxwell (2013) explained how a
conceptual framework narrows the focus of broad inquiry topics. Merriam and Tisdell (2016)
asserted how a theoretical framework contextualizes a study by providing a structure consisting
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 42

of concepts and theories that inform particular studies. Additionally, a study’s conceptual
framework provides a visual representation of the main components to be studied and a
presumed relationship between them (Maxwell, 2013). Although the potential influences of the
study have previously been presented independently, this study illustrates how the influences do
not operate in isolation. Figure 3, below, shows how the potential influences interact with each
other to answer the study’s research question

Figure 3. Conceptual map of knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences.

MOTIVATIONAL INFLUENCES

Self-Efficacy: Teachers need to believe they are capable of
implementing the school-wide behavior management system

Utility Value: Teachers need to believe that that behavior-
management system is effective

KNOWLEDGE INFLUENCES

Procedural: Teachers need to understand how and when to
effectively implement the current school-wide behavior
management plan in their classrooms

Metacognitive: Teachers need to reflect on how effectively they
implement the school-wide behavior management system to
improve implementation

ORGANIZATIONAL INFLUENCES

Cultural Setting: The school needs to provide teachers with professional
development on the school-wide behavior management system

Cultural Setting: The school needs to provide teachers with on-going coaching
and feedback on behavior management plan implementation throughout the year

STAKEHOLDER GOAL
By June 2020, Venceremos Academy’s Flagship teachers will
effectively implement the school-wide behavior management
system with fidelity.

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Teacher knowledge and motivation are key components in ensuring that the

organization’s behavior management system is implemented effectively and, in the case of this
study, could impact the organizational goal of reducing office discipline referrals by 80%. The
teachers’ knowledge and motivation influencers were as follows: (a) belief in their capability of
effectively implementing the behavior management system, (b) belief in the effectiveness and
positive impact of the behavior management system, (c) understanding how and when to
implement the behavior management system, and (d) understanding, through reflection, the
impact of the consistent implementation of the system on classroom management, culture, and
instruction. In addition to knowledge and motivation, improvement in the organization’s cultural
setting supports stakeholders. The organizational influencers include: (a) providing professional
development about the behavior management system and (2) providing consistent coaching and
feedback on a teacher’s implementation of the system.
Represented with the three circles inside of each other, the framework’s conceptual map
(Figure 3) presents the interaction between the organization’s cultural setting and the teacher’s
knowledge and motivation. The teacher’s knowledge and motivational influences are within the
cultural setting influences, suggesting that the organization’s cultural setting influences the
knowledge and motivation of teachers. Thus, organizational training and coaching on behavior
management have an influence on teacher knowledge and influences regarding behavior
management. The three interacting influences lead to the organizational goal of reducing office
discipline referrals.

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Data Collection and Instrumentation
Interviews
Face-to-face interviews were the data-collection method for this study. I chose this
method because it elicits in-depth information about a participant’s thoughts, beliefs, knowledge,
reasoning, motivations, and feelings about a topic (Creswell, 2014). Interviews yielded
qualitative data to assess the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences of
stakeholders in relation to accomplishing the organizational goal of reducing office discipline
referrals by 80% at Venceremos’s Flagship site. The following sections discuss, in detail, the
methods used to collect data for this study.
Interview protocol. For data collection, I conducted open-ended, standardized, semi-
structured interviews. Johnson and Christensen (2015) asserted that semi-structured interviews
ensure baseline data from participants through the standardization of questions. In the
standardized open-ended interview, the questions are all written out, and the interviewer reads
the questions exactly as written and in the same order to all interviewees (Johnson &
Christensen, 2015). All questions were written as a scaffold, becoming more complex each time
a question is asked. The questions specifically targeted the conceptual framework of the study,
prompting participants to consider knowledge, motivation, and organizational aspects related to
the stakeholder goal of reducing office discipline referrals, as demonstrated in the conceptual
framework. To assess for clarity and appropriate question flow, committee members reviewed
the questions for approval. The participant criteria are outlined in Appendix A, while the
interview protocol of this research is listed in Appendix B.
While all participants were presented the same questions, the semi-structured nature of
the interviews allowed the researcher to modify questions and ask probing questions based on
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participant responses. The researcher used probes to elicit deeper meaning from participant
response (Johnson & Christensen, 2015). Semi-structured interviews allow for flexibility in data
collection, as the goal of qualitative data collection is to elicit pertinent and in-depth information
from participants related to the problem of practice. Miriam and Tisdell (2013) asserted how
semi-structured interviews ensure that the study is responsive to the participant responses while
keeping in mind the research questions.
Interview procedures. The researcher conducted 12 individual participant interviews
with K–5 teachers, two from each grade level, who indicated their willingness to participate
during the recruitment phase. The interviews took place in January 2019, after the first grading
benchmark of the school year. Interviewing teachers after the first benchmark allowed: (a) new
teachers to have practiced the school-wide behavior management system, (b) time for teachers to
reflect on their implementation of the system, and (c) teachers to talk at a less stressful time of
the year, post–winter break and post–grading period. At the interviews, the researcher asked 14
questions with each interviewee during a period lasting between 60 and 90 minutes.
The interviews were conducted either in-person or over-the-phone, depending on the
geographical location and participant preference. Weiss (1994) has discouraged conducting
interviews at participants’ place of work; as such, the interviews were conducted in a local coffee
shop or in the location of the participants’ choice. Providing interviewees with a choice on
where to conduct interviews ensured that participants felt comfortable to answer questions
honestly. Interview responses were audio recorded on the researcher’s phone and password
protected with permission and later transcribed during the data analysis phase.

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Data Analysis
Interviews
Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted once all survey results were submitted.
For interviews, data analysis began during data collection. I wrote analytic memos after each
interview and each observation. I documented my thoughts, concerns, and initial conclusions
about the data in relation to my conceptual framework and research questions. Once I had left
the field, interviews were transcribed and coded. In the first phase of analysis, I used open
coding, looked for empirical codes, and applied a priori codes from the conceptual framework.
A second phase of analysis was conducted in which empirical and a prior code were aggregated
into analytic/axial codes. In the third phase of data analysis, I identified pattern codes and
themes that emerged in relation to the conceptual framework and study questions. The themes
were linked to the knowledge, motivation, and organizational barrier/assets associated with
school teachers. Those themes were utilized in answering the listed research questions and
connected to the researcher’s conceptual framework.

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Findings
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project was to conduct a gap analysis to examine the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences that interfered with the organizational goal of an 80%
reduction in office discipline referrals at Venceremos Academies’ Flagship site. The analysis
began by generating a list of possible or assumed interfering influences that were examined
systematically to focus on actual or validated interfering influences. While a complete gap
analysis focused on all stakeholders, for practical purposes the stakeholder I focused on in this
analysis was Venceremos Academies’ teachers.
The questions that guided the gap analysis addressing knowledge and skills, motivation,
and organization causes and solutions for Venceremos Academies’ teaching staff were as
follows:
1. What are teachers’ knowledge and motivation related to effectively using the school-wide
behavior management system?
2. What is the interaction between organizational culture and context and teacher
knowledge and motivation?
3. What is the recommended knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational
solutions?
The results and findings of this study utilized interviews with elementary school teachers from
Venceremos Academy’s’ Flagship site. Nine of 12 teachers’ current teachers agreed and
participated in the study through the semi-structured interviews. All interviews were recorded
and transcribed. Once all data were collected, the interviews were coded and categorized. The
goal of the data collection was to examine whether a gap existed in motivation, knowledge, or
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organizational influences in reducing office discipline referrals at the school. The researcher
took a qualitative case study approach and turned to the listed gap analysis framework to
determine whether a gap existed. The findings section of this study provides an overview of the
participating stakeholders of the study, and knowledge, motivation, and organization results.
Participating Stakeholders
The stakeholder of focus for this study were all elementary-level school teachers
currently teaching at Venceremos Academy’s Flagship site. For the purposes of this study, an
elementary school teacher for this study was defined as a teacher assigned to a kindergarten to
fifth-grade teaching assignment. The researcher identified 12 teachers that met research criteria
and used the current contact information available to reach them. Teachers were then recruited
via e-mail by the researcher. Nine of 12 teachers responded and agreed to participate. Three
interviews were conducted virtually over an Internet webcam platform; six were conducted in
person at a local coffee shop. Table 6 lists teacher (pseudonym) information, grade-level
assignment, and years teaching at Venceremos Academy. To protect participant confidentiality,
only grade-level ranges are identified as lower elementary (kindergarten through second grade)
and upper elementary school (third grade through fifth grade).
Table 6
Teacher Information (Pseudonym, Grade-Level Range Assignment, and Years Teaching)
Teacher Grade-Level Assignment Range Years Teaching
Tina Lower Elementary (K–2) 4
Lorena Lower Elementary (K–2) 3
Gladys Lower Elementary (K–2) 2
Karmen Lower Elementary (K–2) 3
Maria Lower Elementary (K–2) 3
Deborah Upper Elementary (3–5) 3
Pedro Upper Elementary (3-5) 3
Ignacio Upper Elementary (3-5) 4
Juan Upper Elementary (3-5) 1
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Research Question 1: What is teachers’ knowledge and motivation related to effectively
using the school-wide behavior management system?
Knowledge influences findings.
Procedural knowledge. As indicated earlier in this study, procedural knowledge relates
to an individual’s ability to know when, how, and why to do a particular task (Krathwohl, 2002;
Rueda, 2011). The literature pertaining to teacher training indicated the need to develop
procedural knowledge that has a positive impact on behavior and classroom management. As
such, teachers must possess the procedural knowledge to implement a school-wide management
or behavior plans effectively, efficiently, and consistently (Brophy, 1988; Jackman, 2003;
Rogers, 2009; Rosenberg & Jackman, 2000; Theriot & Tice, 2009).
The interview questions solicited responses from teachers that gauged their procedural
knowledge of the behavior management system. Prompts included: “Explain how you would use
the school-wide behavior system in your classroom”; “What warrants a clip up or a clip down?”
The questions sought to reveal if teachers knew when and how to implement the behavior
system—primarily when to clip a student up and down. All teachers showed knowledge of the
behavior-management system the school used; however, it appears that teachers were not clear
about how to implement the system in their classroom. The act of clipping down three times
yielded office referrals; therefore, a gap in procedural knowledge of the system could have been
contributing to the overall problem. All teachers mentioned how the act of clipping up and down
were in response to students showing a school value or showing “above and beyond” behavior.
However, the interview responses revealed the following theme regarding teachers’ procedural
knowledge gap.

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Finding 1: Teachers were not aligned on school-wide expectations for student
behaviors, and therefore did not know how to use the clip chart system. Six of nine teachers
mentioned school-wide inconsistencies for what “above and beyond” behavior meant and what
specific behaviors were aligned to certain school values. As a result, teachers were unclear about
when to clip up and clip down a student and were using the system based on interpretations of
actions aligned to school values. There was a gap in procedural knowledge pertaining to how
and when to clip students up and down.
Deborah, a third-grade teacher in her third year of teaching, mentioned behavioral
expectation inconsistencies when students transitioned into their English language development
(ELD) class with another Venceremos teacher. She explained:
During the ELD, I had a student who was just constantly getting up out of a seat or
falling out of his seat and I would send him back to his classroom to clip down. Because
he didn't have a clip in my classroom, it's an understanding that they have to go back to
their own classroom to clip down and this teacher then asked me why did he clip down
and I said, “Oh, because he was getting up out of his seat and because he was falling out
of his chair and I had to give him a warning prior.” And he’s like, “Oh well, in my
classroom that's not the way it works. If they’re wiggly, it’s okay.” And so then, that told
me that we weren’t aligned in what behaviors or expectations we wanted to see in the
classroom that align to that clip chart . . . it comes from us not really truly having clear
expectations of what behavior should look like in everyone's classroom. I also think it
comes from teacher's own biases and understandings of what a student should look like in
a classroom, what learning looks like in a classroom.
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Karmen, a third-year teacher with experiences in various grades at Venceremos, doubted that all
classrooms used the clip chart the same way in terms of clipping up for positive behaviors:
I use it in terms of making sure that the clip is going back up type of way right, making
sure that you're not just looking at the negative but you're also reinforcing the positives.
I'm not confident that it's used like that in all classes and also when it comes to the
other classes I'm not sure if it's used in the same rigor in classes because I think that in
other classes it's easier to get to yellow or maybe my class is just too hard to get
you to yellow, but I think there's not a normal understanding as to what yellow means
and what gets you to be on yellow.
Maria, a third year teacher with experience teaching middle and elementary school at
Venceremos explicitly highlighted a lack of understanding as to what behaviors aligned with
each school value:
Showing the values to me is going beyond expectations and I don't think that it's clear
within everyone and we've never gotten a clear training on, “this is an example of a
behavior that would show scholarship” or “this is an example of behavior that shows In
Lak'Ech.” And so, I think that individually, we have to think about what we think that
is in order to put these clips up or put this clips down and again that creates
inconsistency.
Tina, a kindergarten teacher who had 5 years of teaching experiences at both Venceremos and
other schools, mentioned inconsistencies of behavior expectations across grade levels and
student misunderstanding between the values and expected behaviors.
I do try to relate a behavior to values. I think it doesn’t always happen, but I try to
connect a behavior to a value because students aren’t familiar with the value too. There
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is a connection between the values and the use of the clip chart. But I have seen that
students do not make that or students do not make that connection they see the colors on
the clip chart instead of thinking of the values . . . I have talked to teachers in older grades
and some of the behaviors that they are using I guess is different, but I think it depends
from grade to grade, but I don't think it's aligned. I'm thinking even just like how I have
chosen not to send students to the office that is not part of the procedure.
Lorena, a fourth-year teacher at Venceremos had taught kindergarten and third grade. Lorena
mentioned inconsistencies of behavior expectations across stakeholders at the school:
I feel [behavior expectations are] inconsistent amongst the entire school. I think that
there's different expectations depending on the person. There's different expectations
from admin and there's different expectations amongst different teachers and even in the
classroom there's different expectations for my AT [Associate Teacher] than from me . . .
Like student behavior, what students should be doing, what is an excellent behavior what
is not, etc. etc.
Pedro, a third-year teacher at Venceremos who had taught multiple grades in elementary school,
explicitly mentioned a lack of understanding between the school values and expected student
behaviors:
Teachers are definitely not aligned . . . I wasn’t told the actions that were aligned to the
values but I was told, “Oh if a student gets in a fight then they move in nearly to red.” So,
I was kind of told a general . . . If a student does X, your response should be Y, or the
color they end up on is Y. I was never instructed on like this is the value and this action
aligns as value; therefore, students should be on this color. So, there was no like
rationale using the values, but I was told for example, “Oh this is minor infraction.
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Students should just drop their clip down once,” or “Oh student’s out of control or
students get in a fight, they should immediately go to red and there should an office
referral.”
Metacognitive knowledge findings. Metacognitive knowledge refers to an individual’s
ability to reflect on his or her thinking, learning, and growth (Krathwohl, 2002; Rueda, 2011).
Baker (2006) defined metacognition as an individual’s self-awareness and control of the
cognitive process. The literature pertaining to teacher metacognitive practices indicated how
reflective practices resulted in increased knowledge, awareness, and overall improved
implementation of curriculum, pedagogy, and behavior management (LoCasale-Crouch, 2007;
Nolen & Hillkirk, 1991; Sebren, 1995; Zellermayer, 1990).
The interview questions drew responses from teachers that would elicit metacognition as
to why teachers did or did not use the behavior management system. The questions sought to
reveal whether teachers were self-aware of their effectiveness in implementing the school-wide
behavior management system and to identify reasons for their level of effectiveness. All
teachers demonstrated a strong ability to reflect on their implementation, suggesting they had the
ability to make metacognitive assessments of their practice. Teachers associated effectiveness
with consistency of implementation and follow through of the behavior protocol. All teachers
mentioned that they were not effective in implementing the behavior management system as the
behavior playbook outlines because of their own lack of consistency with implementation.
Through teachers’ reflections on their effective implementation of the system, three major
themes emerged regarding why teachers felt ineffective.
Finding 2: Teachers’ reflections indicated feeling ineffective due to a lack of behavior
protocol follow through from school administration. Eight of nine teachers shared how their
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lack of consistency with implementing the system stemmed from a lack of follow through and
support from school administration. The teachers’ reflections indicate how follow through and
support from school administration impacted a teachers’ consistent implementation of the
system.
Deborah mentioned not feeling supported from school administration with the implementation of
the school-wide behavior management system; she explained:
Because the support from administration when a student is getting out of control or
when a student isn't following behavior expectations consistently is not there to help me
or guide me. An instance that I can think of is, one of the students was on red and “I said
okay you're going clip down because you're still blurting out” and they were like “I don't
care, send me to the office.
Karmen reflected on the inconsistent messaging from school administration regarding how to
implement the behavior management system in the classroom. Karmen’s reflection highlighted
how unclear administrative communication led to teacher interpretation of a school-wide system:
We got kind of a mixed communication with administration this year. What I remember
from last year, in the previous year, it was if you were red you're going automatically to
the office. The behaviors you have shown are not what is accepted in the classroom,
therefore you have to exit the classroom and be in the office and speak to someone,
principal or a dean of culture. This year, it seems like they don't want us to send them to
the office, so they want us to place them in a buddy room, but we also have and received
direction as to what it means with this buddy room, who is buddy and what do they do in
this buddy room so there's like a mix. So, now this year what I've been doing is like if
you're on red, if you happen to be on red, I just kind of keep you in the classroom and we
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figure out ways for you to fix that here.
Lorena also reflected on the administration’s inconsistent messaging about how to implement the
system and how to proceed with certain consequences. Additionally, Lorena questioned the
follow through of administration once students got to the office:
I think that there's often mixed messages of, okay, you're supposed to be using the
behavior clip chart, but then when students get to red and they're sent to the office, they
ask, “Well why are you sending so many kids to the office?” And then recently there's
been an email sent, there's too many referrals, you need to make sure you are, I guess,
weighing out to see which students actually need to go to the office and which students
don't because there has been too many, so my question is when they go to the office what
happens? What is the conversation that students are having with some person, like an
adult? Because oftentimes it feels like they're sent to the office and then they're just there
sitting in a chair, because I've seen it, for 10 minutes and then they come back to my
class.
As mentioned previously, the school administration plays a vital role in the implementation of
the school-wide behavior management once students get to the office. The Playbook indicates
administrative involvement. Tina shared inconsistencies with the protocol when students were
sent to the office:
When kids get into the office they sit down in a chair for some time. From what I have
seen, when students go to the office it is usually office clerk who is left to talk to them
and to help solve something especially with younger students . . .Thinking of [the office
clerk], it is not part of her job to do that. There isn't a lot of time spent allowing students
to think or reflect for something that happened that could benefit the student before going
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back to class. I have seen from my classroom and I heard that behaviors like that
continue. These students will go back into class and the behaviors continue. There’s a
lack of follow through.
Pedro specifically mentioned a lack of school support and response with severe infractions:
It is somewhat a lack of like organizational support and how that response looks, how can
it be supportive. For example, if there’s a student that has some severe infraction, there is
no response of “Okay, call the office. We will come and take care of this and you keep
on to your lessons.”
Gladys, a second-year teacher at Venceremos, expressed a lack of trust with administration
following up with students and upholding their involvement in the effective implementation of
the school-wide behavior management system:
Usually I send them to the office and from what I am told, they sit in the office and
they have a little like reflection time or little think time as to why they end up in the
office and get a consequence for their action. To be honest, I’m not sure if they are
followed up with or have a conversation with another staff member. I just know after a
few minutes they are sent back to class.
Juan also mentioned not knowing whether students were followed up with appropriately in the
office once they were sent to administration:
I don’t think anything happens [in the office]. I think they’re out of class for a few
minutes and they’re just sitting there and they come back. I mean, ideally, they’re
supposed to talk to the dean of culture or the principal, but I’m not sure if that happens
because some kids just come back really quickly and just continue or if they do it, it’s not
like effective because a lot of the kids kind of just continue the same behaviors.
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Ignacio, a fourth-year teacher at Venceremos who had taught the same grade all 4 years,
indicated being unsure whether the management system was properly followed in the office.
Ignacio also highlighted the importance of alignment between teachers and administration:
I also feel like the student will come back from the office but there’s no really a
consequence that was maybe applied or that consequence wasn’t communicated to me so
that I don’t know what is going to happen there. So, yeah, I think it’s just that, it’s also
just missing that follow through, which means teachers and admin . . . I mean we want
[students] to be in class but we also want them to understand what they did and those are
the consequences used too.
Finding 3: Teachers’ reflections indicated feeling ineffective due to a lack of
consistency in using the system across school stakeholders. Three of nine teachers shared how
their lack of consistency in implementing the system stemmed from not being clear on how to
implement the system effectively. The teachers’ metacognitive reflections indicating how their
lack of procedural knowledge impacts their consistent use of the system.
Maria mentioned forgetting to use the system as both an incentive and behavior management
strategy:
There are days where I forget and I look over and I'm like “Oh man, I haven't put
anyone's clip up.” And there's days where I don't put anyone's clip up or anyone’s clip
down. During those days, I don't feel as bad because I'm like, “Okay, at least no one is
getting a punitive remark.” . . . It makes me feel better that I'm not just being negative all
the time and I think it also helps maybe the student who put their clip down see if I do
this action I can also put my clip back up . . . there's no clear procedure.
Pedro explicitly mentioned a misunderstanding about how the clip chart was supposed to be
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appropriately used:
I definitely don’t think I use it as well as it should be used. I think as a teacher, yes
there’s this lack of understanding sometimes of what a misbehavior should look like and
what that means for the clip chart, but I think it’s also a moving piece in the classroom…I
think that does affect student misbehaviors in the long run, so I don’t think I use it as
much as it should be used
Juan, a second-year teacher who had completed his student teaching at Veneremos, mentioned
that some school-wide systems were not in place, thus preventing teachers from effectively
implementing the system and making his own implementation variable:
I was a little more lax at first especially following through with the consequences because
we don’t have like a hub or anything for recess. I mean as teachers that break time is
important for like going to the bathroom, maybe like a small recharge session, but if
they’re for like, if they owe time, you can’t really be just like, if you don’t, if they’re in
the classroom, well they can’t stay in the classroom alone and I don’t have an AT to
watch them like even against the wall and time them to so I don’t, like I was using it
effectively.
Finding 4: Teachers’ reflections indicated feeling ineffective due to a lack of
understanding the behavior management system’s purpose. Four of nine teachers shared how
their lack of consistency in implementing the system stemmed from not understanding and
believing in the behavior management system’s purpose. Teachers indicated how not
understanding the system’s purpose impacted their consistent implementation of it.
Maria saw the importance of having a purpose for a given system or procedure as similar to
one’s commitment to the value of teaching:
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There is no clear knowledge of what it means to have a clip chart system, and so it's kind
of like with anything that we teach or do in class. If we don't know the purpose behind it,
we can't effectively implement it. And if I don't know the purpose behind this, it just
leaves too much room for interpretation and we all have different ways of thinking. We
all have different expectations We all have different experiences that shape maybe what
we think is a clip up, maybe what we think is a clip down. And yeah, if we don't know
the purpose behind something there's no way I think that we're going to be effective in
that . . . I think it would be effective when there's consistency in [using] it.
Deborah explicitly expressed not believing in the system:
I think I don't truly believe in the clip chart and so it isn't a priority for me to use it in my
classroom because I don't see the purpose behind it. It's kind of more of like a rescue
technique like I said earlier. So, I don’t use it consistently.
Karmen had a number of questions regarding how the system aligned to the school’s data-driven
culture:
I think our school is very data driven and so I would be curious to know like why was
this behavior system implemented? What's the reasoning behind it? Why is it that we use
this behavior system? Is it proven by research and data that it actually is beneficial for the
behaviors that we see within our classroom?
Lorena admitted to being inconsistent because she did not believe in the purpose of the behavior
clip chart. Specifically, Lorena mentioned that a major piece missing from the system was a lack
of student reflection:
I don't understand what's the big idea behind all this because students are not
reflecting, they're not thinking about their actions, they're not understanding what they
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did and why that was not a good choice . . . I think I’m very inconsistent just because I
really don't believe in it and I feel that sometimes I forget. I forget when I tell a student
to pull the pin down and I forget to tell them or when they're doing a good action, I forget
to tell them to bring it back up. Honestly, I really do forget. That's why I don’t use it as
often as I think I'm required to use it . . . I have noticed that it's not as useful as I would
want it to be I guess.
Tina summarized the sentiments of the teachers, questioning the system’s benefit for students: “I
question why are we using this system, is it benefitting students? It doesn't feel like it benefits
them so why are we using it?”
Motivational influences findings. As indicated earlier in this study, Clark and Estes
(2008) defined motivation as an internal, psychological process initiating, maintaining, and
finishing a task. Motivation supports learner focus, momentum, and engagement (Mayer, 2011).
Motivation develops through an individual’s as result of their self-perception as learners (Rueda,
2011). As a result, motivated employees perform at higher levels and actively contribute to an
organization’s goals of achieving a collective vision (Jensen, 2012). This study explored two
motivation theories: self-efficacy theory and expectancy value theory. Self-efficacy implies that
individuals believe they can perform a behavior. A strong sense of self-efficacy supports
establishing the motivation to actively choose, persist, and invest mental effort (Bandura, 1991).
Within expectancy value theory is utility value theory. Utility value concerns how an individual
determines how a task will satisfy a plan; and cost considers the time, energy, and emotion a task
requires to accomplish it (Eccles, 2006; Rueda, 2011). Research highlights how teachers’ beliefs
about the effectiveness of instructional programs, behavior management techniques, and
pedagogical practices impacted how frequently they used them in the classroom (Barakat, 2014;
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Biggs et al., 2008). Additionally, teachers’ perception of their abilities to manage student
behaviors aligned with their levels of self-efficacy (Gialo & Little, 2003; Martin et al., 1999).
The interview questions solicited responses from teachers to gauge their overall
motivation to use the behavior management system. The questions sought to reveal teachers’
level of self-efficacy to implement the system effectively, while also gauging whether teachers
felt the system was useful and effective for its intended purpose. Motivation-focused questions
included: “How confident do you feel using the behavior-management system?” and “Why do
you or don’t you use the behavior management system?” As a result of the questions, several
significant themes emerged through teacher interview responses.
Self-efficacy findings.
Finding 5: Teachers have low confidence and self-efficacy because they did not know
how to effectively use the behavior management system. Of the nine teachers interviewed,
seven indicated having low confidence with behavior management because of their lack of
procedural knowledge on how to use the school-wide discipline system. This finding is
significant because it explicitly displays how both knowledge and motivational influences
interact as outlined in the theoretical framework.
Deborah described her discomfort with using the system:
My level of comfort is very low with it. If you would ask me to teach another teacher
how to use the clip chart, I would say you should probably ask someone else because I’m
often times not clear as to what warrants a clip down or a clip up, so I don't . . . yeah . .
. I do think that with more clarity and support I would be able to do it especially if it's
something that schoolwide that is agreed upon that has specific behaviors that warrants
the clip down or the clip up
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Gladys mentioned lacking confidence about the system because of her constant need to adjust the
proposed system to fit her classroom:
Because that I’ve seen some of the outcomes of using the system and so it’s like I use
the system, but I kind of tweak it a little bit to better fit my classrooms and my means and
so, I know that I’m not confident as to like, “Oh yeah,” you know, “I use it all the time
when it comes to the system” because in reality I don’t because I’m trying to tweak it as
to what fits to my classroom and what fits with my student, knowing their behavior and
knowing their needs and so I wouldn’t say that I feel confident with the clip system.
Similar to Gladys, Juan mentioned feeling low confidence with managing student behaviors
because he was not using the system as expected or presented. Juan stated how he felt less
confident using the system because he had to adjust it to meet the needs of his particular
classroom:
I’m not too confident . . . I think it comes from trying it out with my own classroom so
figuring out what was right for my class kind of made me unsure, like okay is this where
I’m supposed to be going with it or not? I think I understand how to do it, but the
implementation I still have . . . it’s like kind of a Science where you have to figure out
what works for these kids or what doesn’t work for them and then I can adapt it to the
clip chart.
Ignacio also mentioned his low confidence level with using the system; in particular, being
unsure about the administration of consequences due to his lack of knowledge about how to
implement them effectively. Ignacio stated:
I think 1 out of 10 I feel like I’m like at a 7-confidence level. I think with implementing
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I still don’t fully understand the consequences that are expected for me to follow when it
comes to if a student gets to red or if a student does say might be actually that should be
like red, kind of how to communicate that with admin, how to follow through with
admin.
Maria attributed her low confidence level to not being properly trained to implement the system
effectively. Maria associated effectiveness with consistency of use and admitted to her inability
to be consistent with the system because of a lack of understanding about how to use it. Maria
stated:
On a scale of 10, I would feel about 7. I’m going to average myself to a 7. The reason
for that is that I think I've talked a lot about this like reactiveness. I can be very reactive
and I work through it for the last few years as a teacher and I definitely slowed down on
that, but there are certain days where maybe I'm very tired or there's a lot happening that
day or there's an inconsistency in schedule or Something else happening and then I'm
like, “You are not Doing this, so clip down” or back to I think I talked about this before
with expectations. So, I think about my expectations and sometimes they're very high. I
almost demand perfection from my kids when perfection is impossible because they're
children and so sometimes when I even see like a little thing that that doesn't meet that
“perfection” I’m like, “Put your clip down” but it doesn’t warrant that. I think that goes
back to I am effective in that because I've never been taught how to properly use it.
Pedro’s sentiments resembled those of Maria and Ignacio. He mentioned having low confidence
in terms of how he was trained in the system. His low confidence stemmed from being unclear
about the behavior expectations of students:
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 64

To the degree that it should be used, not that confident. I think that the definition of
misbehaviors and what qualifies as when you clip down, I think that is more on an
individual basis and also, you know, as a teacher I think there’s certain biases.
Tina highlighted an additional finding that impacts her motivation to use the system, explaining
that she was not confident in using the system because she did not believe the system was
effective. Tina hinted at utility value theory and how her self-efficacy was impacted by a lack of
faith in in the system’s usefulness. These remarks further exemplified how the influences
interacted. Tina stated, “I don't feel very confident about it because I see that it is ineffective for
students. The behaviors continue and it isn't helpful to the students learning.”
Lorena mentioned feeling low confidence because of an overall sense of inconsistency in student
behavioral expectations and school-wide celebrations for positive behaviors. She stated:
Not confident and I have two reasons why. One is because I feel it's inconsistent
amongst the entire school. I think that there's different expectations depending on the
person. There's different expectations from admin and there's different expectations
amongst different teachers and even in the classroom there's different expectations for my
AT than from me. I also don't feel very confident because I think communication in
terms of when students are acknowledged for having a positive behavior is very
inconsistent. It was my understanding that if students get a yellow for a positive behavior
then they would be rewarded or acknowledged during class and if they get to purple by
having three yellows in a week then they would get a headband or a wristband or lunch
with the principal, things like that. In our school, that hasn't happened because it's there’s
certainly some information gets lost somewhere and so students don't even feel they're
being acknowledged. So, it just defeats the purpose again and I don't know if I should
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still be using the clip chart because those things are not happening and so it makes it less
powerful, I guess, for me and for the students.
Utility value findings.
Finding 6: Teachers believed the school-wide behavior management was punitive and
therefore ineffective. Of the nine teachers, three mentioned not believing in the school-wide
behavior management system because of its punitive nature. Teachers associated punitive
approaches to school discipline as ineffective.
Tina expressed her concerns with the punitive nature of the behavior management system and
how it could unintentionally target certain populations:
No, I don’t value the system. I don't think it's like the best system use to help manage a
class. I have a student Jordan in class and he is an African-American I have noticed that
it seems unfair to certain populations of students who maybe need more support within
the classroom or maybe are not a part of what the majority of my classroom population . .
. The discomfort comes from what I think, what I believe that kids need. The system, just
thinking of how what it looks like there's more space to see and focus on negative
behaviors instead of positive ones and so it's very punitive to students.
Pedro explicitly expressed concerns with the punitive nature of the behavior management system
relating punitive-approaches to antiquated discipline practices:
I don’t think it’s effective because it’s punitive in nature, the fact that it’s antiquated
and a little over simplistic, defines behaviors by colors, and lastly that it isn’t
developmentally appropriate. I think for all of those reasons, it’s not effective.

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Deborah described her concerns with the system as a result of a lack of restorative approaches:
I don't believe that it's that it's restorative. I don't believe that the kids really truly learn
from their mistakes or learn from their behaviors. The clip has become nothing more
than just a clip. For lack of a better word think it doesn't induce fear of the clip being
moved down.
Finding 7: Teachers did not believe the school-wide behavior management system
improved student behaviors. Four of nine teachers indicated not believing in the school-wide
behavior management system because the system failed to improve student behaviors. Teachers
mentioned that students’ behaviors did not improve because students did not have enough time to
appropriately reflect on their behavior and learn from their mistakes. Ultimately, teacher
sentiment expressed that the system did not allow for students to thoroughly reflect on their
behaviors to improve for the following day.
Lorena described how the system did not improve student misbehaviors because its punitive
nature did not foster a positive school and classroom culture. Lorena stated:
I think sometimes it's hard to create a culture of acceptance or a culture of understanding
when students are constantly looking at that clip chart and comparing themselves or
comparing their behaviors. If students are rewarded from admin for a certain behavior
and other students have a hard time meeting those expectations, then it sends a different
message and students are constantly looking at that all across. So, it makes it hard for to
form a culture of acceptance or a culture of understanding or culture of understanding
differences amongst all students.
Karmen expressed concerns with the system inadvertently worsening student misbehaviors rather
than improving them. Karmen shared:
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Sometimes I think it creates more issues than it solves them. Like for example if a
student, you know, does something they are not supposed to instead of like trying to work
with the student, there’s just this direct clipping down and it sometimes results in a more
negative behavior than a positive behavior, or like actually fixing it and like taking,
stopping and be, like, “Oh let me fix my actions” instead it just kind of spirals down
sometimes, where the student reacts negatively and then it has a negative impact on the
student’s behavior.
Similar to Karmen, Juan expressed how some students were not motivated to improve their
behavior once clipped down. Instead, behaviors either continued or worsened:
It’s just like kids don’t see it as a visual reminder. They just see it as like, “Oh I’m in
trouble now.” And for some kids, especially the kids who tend to be more in trouble, it’s
just kind of like, “Well, I already started getting in trouble. What’s the point of trying to
fix it?” Something that they have done with those is just kind of pep talk them and then I
do have to remind my own self, “Oh look at the chart” before we’re excused and then
kind of like call them out like, “Oh this person fixed their behavior. They are going to
move their clip back up.” But a lot of it, I think they do see as very punitive. It’s like I’m
getting something taken away rather than I’m getting the needs that cause me to have this
misbehavior met, so yeah. I think the goal is supposed to be effective, but I don’t know
for students if it’s effective, which in turn makes it less effective overall.
Ignacio shared how the system did not meet the needs of his students, implicating stating the
need the improve behaviors:
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I don’t believe it meets the need of my students. So, because my students are between 8
and 10 years old, they are at an age where a two, three-minute consequence isn’t enough
for them anymore . . . This does not give them enough time to reflect on what they did.
Research Question 2: What is the interaction between organizational culture and context
and stakeholder knowledge and motivation?
Organizational findings. The organization must identify the needs teachers might have,
such as providing training and resources. The questions in this portion of the interview protocol
solicited responses to gain a sense of the organizational gaps inhibiting Venceremos Academy
from reaching the organizational goal of reducing office discipline referrals by 80%. The
prompts and questions from the interviews were the following: “Describe what professional
development on behavior management looks like at your organization. Do you think
professional development on behavior management would be beneficial for teachers? Describe
what coaching and feedback for behavior management look like at your organization.” Further
questions sought to reveal what strategies and approaches for professional development and
coaching they believed would be best for behavior management.
Finding 8: Teachers did not receive consistent professional development on behavior
management and felt that additional training would support school-wide implementation of
the behavior management system. All teachers remembered receiving little to no training on
behavior management, specifically on the school-wide clip-chart system. All teachers mentioned
that more, consistent professional development was necessary for alignment and consistency of
implementation across the school.
Maria remembered receiving the behavior-management training early on in her teaching career at
Venceremos. Reflecting on her current experiences, Maria shared:
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There is no PD. I think I mentioned at the beginning of this interview the last time I
remember having a professional development for behavior is the summer of 2016 which
is nearly three years ago. I think even retraining teachers would benefit from it because
every year we have different staff. We have new staff and I don't know if it's an
expectation that as retraining staff we will teach the new staff how to use these things, but
if I don't even know how to use it how am I supposed to teach this other person how to
use it and I think by having a yearly PD with whoever is there will allow for that
consistency to happen and be like, “Okay, you're new but we're on the same page,” or
“Maybe we’ll use it this way this year, but we’re not doing that anymore.”
Deborah expressly cited that professional development was not consistent. She also explained
that additional training would support teachers in using the clip-chart more effectively.
There’s no consistent PD and I’ve never received a PD on behavior. There have been
many meetings at the beginning of midday block when we get PD of, oh this situation
happened What are the teachers going to do to fix it or there's this problem in—for
example, this last week, there was parents who got into a physical altercation and so it
was just brought up, like, this happened and this is what our administration is doing to
solve it, but it’s never like “here’s what teachers should do” or “here’s how to improve
your behavior management” or anything like that. Yes. Because we have seen high-end
issues in behavior and high-end issues in culture. If teachers received more training on
the clip chart, then we would be able to implement it better or more to the liking of the
network and then may have a positive impact upon the classroom. . .. I think that the PD
would clarify a lot of misunderstandings on the clip chart. It would provide teachers with
direct examples of what to do what not to do and why it works.
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 70

Lorena compared her behavior management training year after year:
We don’t, we don’t. On Wednesdays, ATs have their PD on that, but for almost half a
year, I've been at Flagship, I've never ever, ever had a PD on behavior. Last year, for
behavior, it wasn't during PD time, it was during a staff meeting, but it was also like once
every year, but it was more than what I have now.
Gladys also did not recall receiving training on the use of the clip-chart system. However, she
did mention that training would be most beneficial for teachers to get started with their
classrooms in the first year of teaching:
I don’t recall having much PD in this overall behavior system in the classrooms,
specifically the clip chart, so I do feel that having that would be more helpful specially
for new teachers who are just trying to like, you know, get the ball rolling because like I
said, for me because I didn’t really have that much experience with that, I just went to
“Okay, the way it was presented to me it seem great.” I’m like, “Okay, the system looks
like it will work on behavior” so that’s what I was using my first year. I saw that was not
helpful because I was sending a lot of kids to the office and then this year I do see the
difference. And, yes, [PD is needed].
Similarly, to the rest of the teachers cited here, Ignacio mentioned not receiving training but
seeing the benefit of training for school-wide alignment on behavior expectations. Ignacio
shared his experiences, stating:
We do not get PD on behavior. Yes, we need PD. I would say like a training or a PD. . .
So maybe that can happen [through] like a day of PD or just like couple of hours of PD
where teachers get together from each grade. They align on what the Clip Chart System
look like in the grade then everybody presents it to each other so that people can see the
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progressions and make sure that aligns and that also gets people to ask, gets people trying
to collaborate and ask questions to get a better understanding so that way at least [we]
align to somewhat of a network vision.
Juan also mentioned not receiving PD and seeing the potential school-wide value in receiving
more training:
No. It’s just one that we get at the beginning of the year. There hasn’t been like a
refresher or something new that you could try. I think the only communication we’ve
had is that buddy room change and there’s a lot of kids going to the office. [With PD,]
can help give touch points, give new ideas of what works and what’s not because if you
just rely on the clip chart which is what we were taught, there’s like not much help.
Karmen felt that additional training would support school-wide calibration on student behaviors:
I think the only time we had like a PD that I can remember was at the beginning of the
year when I was a first year teacher, when I was getting my our first year orientation I
think, or training, first year training, and then recently we’ve had like really quick one
during our ROCI time where they explained the buddy room system and then the PD
itself wasn’t fully hashed out and had value so it doesn’t seem very as planned out . . . I
think it would be helpful to have us calibrate on like what clipping down and clipping up
entails as well as a practice, you know, like practicing how we can do that within the
classroom, having teachers be shown like maybe like what is the most appropriate way to
clip a student down . . . I think having teachers understand how to use a clip chart and
how to use it.
For her part, Tina stated: “Not anything really. Even if it was just for the younger it would be
important to have to continue treating social or emotional development as just as important as
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academic development in students. It would also help with alignment.”
Pedro highlighted the level of inconsistency in the behavior-management training he received
and noted key school-wide goals for continued training:
I definitely think I’ve received two PDs in three years of working in organization on the
clip chart itself . . . The first one was at new teacher training that I discussed earlier and
the second one was I want to say my second year of teaching and we’re having like odd
series of misbehaviors and there was a lot of office referrals and so the principal kind of
let a PD for teachers, kind of reinforcing what the clip chart is, what different
misbehaviors look like, and what warrants different colors, so definitely very limited
training on the clip chart. I think the what, how, and the why could all be reinforced
better. I definitely think that teachers don’t have a uniform understanding of what
warrants good and bad behavior on the clip chart, what that looks like across gray levels.
I definitely know that there’s an area of opportunity there in terms of PD and I think PD
can help address that and again also framing why I think that I would love to see some
research backing this up or some kind of like a quantitative evidence of the positive effect
this has had on students or has had with other schools. I think that’s missing.
Components of effective behavior management trainings. After the teachers had
identified their lack of training and the need for additional training, they were asked what sort of
training would in fact help all teachers be effective. All of the teachers described the type of
training components needed to improve the implementation of the school-wide behavior
management system across the school. Table 7 outlines the training components teachers
identified.
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Of the nine teachers, six teachers (Maria, Deborah, Ignacio, Juan, Pedro, and Karmen)
reported needing practice scenarios during the training. Five teachers (Maria, Deborah, Gladys,
Pedro, and Tina) reported needing the training to include the purpose, the rationale, and research
behind the use of the school-wide clip-chart system. Sharing past examples of success—whether
at the current school or other schools and districts—was important to four teachers (Gladys,
Ignacio, Pedro, and Tina). Four teachers (Deborah, Gladys, Juan, and Karmen) identified that
feedback during the training would prove beneficial. Four teachers (Maria, Juan, Tina, and
Karmen) mentioned needing the training to include a resource, a one-pager or job aide, outlining
the specific behaviors that are aligned to the school values. To three teachers (Deborah, Ignacio,
and Karmen), modeling the effective implementation of the behavior management system was an
important component for the training. Lastly, two teachers (Maria and Juan) identified needing
to see videos of effective teachers during the training.
Table 7
Components for an Effective Behavior-Management Training as Mentioned by Teachers
Teacher Practice
scenarios
Purpose,
rationale
Examples
of success
Practice
feedback
Job aide System
modeling
Video
protocol
Maria X X X X
Deborah X X X X
Gladys X X X
Ignacio X X X
Juan X X X X
Pedro X X X
Tina X X X
Karmen X X X X
Lorena

Finding 9: Teachers did not receive coaching and feedback on behavior management
and felt coaching would support school-wide implementation of the behavior management
system. All teachers remembered receiving little to no coaching on behavior management,
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 74

specifically on the school-wide clip-chart system. All teachers mentioned that more, consistent
coaching was necessary for alignment and consistency of implementation across the school as
was improving teacher confidence in using the system. This finding is significant as it shows the
mutual interaction necessary among knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences to
achieve the stakeholder goal of improving overall system implementation.
Deborah remembered receiving little coaching on behavior management in the years she was at
Venceremos. Deborah explained the potential benefits of receiving more coaching on behavior
management, stating:
I think it would become more of a habit more, more of like a front of mind, this is a
system that we are invested in, this is a system that we're going to continuously use and
we're going to be supported in.
Like Deborah, Maria cited that she had not received any coaching on behavior management in
her years at Venceremos; however, Deborah mentioned the potential benefit of such coaching to
teacher skill, consistency, and mindset:
It will tell me the purpose of why use it, it will show me how to use it and I think that it
would just create more consistency in my classroom which would create a better learning
environment. . . I think it would help me feel less anxious. I think sometimes I feel
anxious about, I have to think so much, like, “What are you doing? Are you hurting these
kids by putting their clip down all the time?” or “Are you showing them that any action
warrants a positive praise?” It gives me anxiety and I think that [coaching] would lessen
that and with less anxiety, I can be a more effective teacher.
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Gladys shared similar sentiments as Maria. Gladys mentioned that coaching on behavior
management would increase her confidence in being able to manage behavior in the classroom.
Gladys stated:
I think overall, it would just help with being confident in the clip chart and like I
mentioned before, just for having someone in the classroom or a coach that is able to see
like “Oh, you know, I saw that you did this with this student,” if you need general idea,
like “Oh maybe you could have done this.” I feel like overall, I would just be more
confident in using the clip system.
Pedro mentioned not receiving coaching on behavior management, but considered the potential
benefit of receiving real-time coaching, specifically on managing student behaviors and the use
of the clip chart system. Pedro maintained that real-time coaching could support school-wide
implementation and serve as an effective way to create clear criteria for expectations of student
behavior and teacher responses. Pedro stated:
I think teachers don’t fully understand [how to use the clip chart system] so I think the
live coaching piece gives teachers an opportunity to have school leader’s norm on those
behaviors, model that for teachers, and then hopefully have that reflected in
implementations school-wide.
Components of effective behavior management coaching. After the teachers had
identified the lack of coaching and the need for additional coaching, they were asked questions
regarding what effective behavior-management coaching entailed. All of the teachers described
the type of coaching they believed was necessary in order to improve the implementation of a
school-wide behavior management system. Table 8, below, shows the coaching approaches and
components teachers identified.
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All nine teachers reported needing coaching to include classroom observations. All
teachers specifically mentioned the power of consistent classroom observations to hold teachers
accountable and to gauge the improvement of skills. Six teachers (Maria, Deborah, Gladys,
Pedro, Tina, Karmen, and Lorena) reported that real-time coaching would be the best approach
for behavior-management training. Five teachers (Maria, Juan, Pedro, Ignacio, Karmen, and
Lorena) cited the traditional 30-minute coaching conversations as a key component for behavior-
management coaching. Two teachers (Ignacio and Pedro) posited that being recorded and then
following up with a coaching conversation would be a beneficial approach to coaching. The
teachers mentioned how seeing oneself in action supports reflection and improving overall
implementation. Lastly, three teachers (Maria, Deborah, and Pedro) mentioned needing
behavior-management modeling as an approach to coaching for using the clip-chart system
effectively.
Table 8
Components for Effective Behavior-Management Coaching as Mentioned by Teachers
Teacher Classroom
observations
Real time
coaching
Coaching
conversations
Video
recording
Modeling
Maria X X X X
Deborah X X X
Gladys X X
Ignacio X X X
Juan X X
Pedro X X X X X
Tina X X
Karmen X X X
Lorena X X X

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Solutions and Recommendations
Behavior-Management System Recommendations
Approximately 80% of teachers expressed frustration, doubt, and lack of use of the
current behavior management system. The clip-chart system appears to be misaligned with
teachers’ perception of what the purpose of a behavior management system should be and the
intended impact on student behaviors. Teachers continue having questions about the rationale of
the current system and why the organization adopted the system on a school-wide level.
Therefore, teachers either adjust the system to fit their needs, do not use a behavior system, or
adopt a completely new behavior management system. The recommendation is to re-evaluate
whether the current system is the best system for both students and teachers. The organization
should consider bringing teachers, administrators, parents, and behavior experts together and
either create a new, more aligned behavior system or adopt one that has been proven to be
successful with the population Venceremos Academies serves. Incorporating various
stakeholders in this process will allow for more buy-in from the teachers who implement the
system daily.
Knowledge Recommendations
Table 9, below, shows the knowledge influences presented in Chapter 2 and have high
probability for validation. The table lists the assumed knowledge influences previously
identified in the literature review and, through data collection and analysis, validated as having a
gap. The four types of knowledge Krathwohl (2002) described include: factual, conceptual,
procedural, and metacognitive knowledge. The validated knowledge influence types for this
study were procedural and metacognitive. The table identifies the knowledge influence,
knowledge type, principle related to the assumed influence, and the recommendation to close the
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validated gap.
Table 9
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed knowledge
influence
Principle and citation Context-specific
recommendation
Teachers need to
understand how and when
to effectively implement
the current school-wide
behavior management plan
in their classrooms
(P)
Help individuals develop
mastery by helping them acquire
component skills, practice
integrating these skills into their
work, and help them understand
when to apply what they have
learned (Schraw & McCrudden,
2006).

Provide training to teachers
on how and when to
implement the school-wide
behavior management plan in
their classrooms, including
scenarios and role-plays.
Teachers need to reflect on
how effectively they
implement the school-wide
behavior management
system to improve
implementation (M)
Provide opportunities for
learners to engage in guided self-
monitoring and self-assessment
before, during, and after learning
(Baker, 2006).

The use of metacognitive
strategies facilitates learning
(Baker, 2006).

Provide teachers with
coaching to improve
behavior management system
implementation.

Increasing teacher’s knowledge of understanding how and when to effectively
implement the current school-wide behavior management plan in their classrooms. The
results and findings of this study indicated that 100% of teachers needed more procedural
knowledge on how and when to use the school-wide behavior management system. A
recommendation rooted in information processing theory has been selected to close this
procedural knowledge gap. As part of the information processing system theory, Schraw and
McCrudden (2006) found that mastery comes as a result of acquiring, practicing, and applying
the newly developed skill, which suggests that providing teachers with training on how and when
to use the school-wide behavior management system would support their learning. The
recommendation then is to provide teachers with targeted training that includes scenarios and
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 79

role-plays.
Jackman (2000) described how teachers who participated in trainings that included the
application of strategies yielded higher quality classroom management materials and more
successful behavior management systems. Teachers possessing procedural knowledge on
behavior management were more effective in the classroom as they were able to maximize
instructional minutes (Rogers, 2009). Brophy (1988) recommended that teacher trainings
embody an integrated approach: exposure and application of management techniques. The
evidence affirms the value of using trainings consisting of exposure and application for teachers
about how and when to use the school-wide behavior management system.
Increasing awareness of how effectively teachers implement the current school-wide
behavior management system. The results and findings of this study indicated that 80% of
teachers need more metacognitive knowledge about how effectively they implement the school-
wide behavior management system to improve overall implementation. A recommendation
rooted in information processing theory has been selected to close this metacognitive knowledge
gap. Baker (2006) found that providing opportunities for learners to engage in guided self-
monitoring and self-assessment before, during, and after learning can improve performance.
This finding suggests that giving teachers opportunities to reflect on their performance using the
school-wide behavior management system would support their learning. The recommendation,
then, is to provide teachers with coaching on reflective practices.
Nolen and Hillkirk (1991) confirmed that teacher behavior changed as a result of year-
long reflection projects. Similarly, LoCasale-Crouch’s (2007) study researched the impact of
mentor-guided written reflections on video-taped lessons and its positive impact on instruction
and classroom management. Teachers experienced a change in knowledge and attitudes toward
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themselves, their students, and their approach to teaching and management after engaging in
reflective practices (Zellermayer, 1990). The evidence affirms that using coaching on reflective
practices for teachers improves behavior-management effectiveness.
Motivation Recommendations
Table 10, below, indicates the motivation influences that were presented in Chapter 2 and
have high probability for validity. As discussed, motivation is the necessary catalyst to actively
using and applying knowledge (Mayer, 2011). Clark and Estes (2008) identified three
motivational factors of an individual pursuing a goal: active choice, persistence, and mental
effort. Additionally, Mayer (2011) asserted how motivation surfaces through interest, beliefs,
attributions, goals, and partnerships. In this study, the validated motivation influences aligned
with the concept of belief: belief in the effectiveness of the school-wide discipline system and
belief of teachers in their own capabilities of implementing the system. Belief in the
effectiveness of the school-wide discipline system related to expectancy value theory with utility
value. Belief in the teachers own capabilities related to self-efficacy theory. Table 10, below,
shows the recommendations to improve stakeholder performance and the theoretical principle
upon which the recommendation is based.

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Table 10
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
motivation
influence
Principle and citation Context-specific
recommendation
Teachers need to
believe that the
behavior-
management system
is effective.
(Utility Value)
Include rationales about the
importance and utility value of
the work or learning (Eccles,
2006; Pintrich, 2003).
The materials and examples used
during the behavior management
training will include past success
stories and specific examples of
improved student behavior and
achievement.
Teachers need to
believe they are
capable of
implementing the
school-wide
behavior
management system
(Self-Efficacy)
Make it clear that individuals are
capable of learning what is being
taught or are capable of
performing a task (Pajares, 2006).

Provide multiple opportunities for
goal-directed practice; include
instructional support (scaffolding)
early on with the gradual removal
of supports; and frequent,
accurate, credible, targeted, and
private feedback on progress of
learning and performance
(Pajares, 2006).
The approaches used during the
behavior management training will
include practical exercises in
which teachers must handle
increasingly difficult behavior
issues and identify the appropriate
steps (including with feedback).

Increasing teacher self-efficacy with behavior management through goal-directed
practice and feedback. Approximately 80% of teachers were not confident that they could
effectively implement the current school-wide behavior management system. A
recommendation rooted in self-efficacy theory has been selected to close this procedural
knowledge gap. Pajares (2006) found that modeling and feedback increased self-efficacy
through goal-directed practice. The recommendation is for the organization to provide teachers
practice exercises that become increasingly difficult and to offer real-time feedback. For
example, the training could include a scenario with the behavior management system working
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 82

after the first student redirection and after several redirections. The trainer would be wearing a
wireless microphone with the teacher having an ear piece to provide real-time feedback.
Through this approach, self-efficacy would strengthen through practice and targeted feedback of
the school-wide behavior management system.
Gialo and Little (2003) studied the connection between teacher perceived preparedness
for managing behaviors and teacher self-efficacy. Gialo and Little’s study of 54 elementary
teachers in Australia revealed how higher perceived preparation to manage classroom behaviors
correlated with higher-self efficacy. Martin et al. (1999) took the research further by studying
self-efficacy levels with teacher implementation. According to their study of kindergarten
through second-grade teachers in 21 schools, teachers scoring lower on self-efficacy were likely
to administer office-discipline referrals, refer students to other school personnel, or send students
to the office. Teachers lacking self-efficacy used more punitive approaches to discipline,
requiring that students leave the classroom. However, teachers possessing confidence and a
belief in managing disruptive behaviors showed an effective use of behavior management
strategies inside the classroom (Martin et al., 2009). The evidence affirms the need to increase
teacher self-efficacy through goal-directed practice and real-time feedback.
Increasing the value of effectiveness of the current school-wide behavior
management system. Approximately 80% of teachers did not believe that the school-wide
behavior management system was effective in managing student behavior. A recommendation
rooted in expectancy value theory, specifically utility value, has been selected to close this
knowledge gap. This approach suggests that using materials and examples of past successes
with the behavior-management system would improve the system’s utility value (Eccles, 2006;
Pintrich, 2003). The recommendation is for the organization to use materials and examples
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 83

during the behavior management training that include past success stories and specific examples
of improved student behavior and achievement. The use of strategic success stories and
examples of improved behavior will support strengthening the utility value of the current
behavior system.
Barakat (2014) conducted a study of 33 teaching staff and six behavioral staff all from
the New Jersey Private School education department. Research findings reveal that teachers
implemented one behavior management program more than another because of its perceived
effectiveness (Barakat, 2014). Biggs et al. (2008) studied the connection between utility and
implementation fidelity, revealing how teacher implementation related to perceptions of program
utility. Survey results indicated that teachers’ beliefs in the effectiveness of the program to
positively affect student achievement impacted its overall use in the classroom. The evidence
affirms the need for increasing teachers’ belief in the utility of the current school-wide behavior
management system.
Organizational Recommendations
Table 11, below, shows the organizational influences presented in Chapter 2 that have a
high probability of being validated through the study. When considering an organizational
performance gap, one must also assess knowledge and motivational factors. Organizational
factors and barriers must also be considered when diagnosing the root causes of the performance
gap (Clark & Estes, 2008; Rueda, 2011). Organizational factors come in two distinct
components with regard to organizational behavior and thinking: cultural models and cultural
settings (Rueda, 2011). Cultural models relate to the thinking of an individual. Models are
common schema dictating how an individual believes the world works, or how they believe the
world should work (Rueda, 2011). Rueda described cultural settings as visible aspects of an
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 84

individual’s behavior. Table 11 shows the recommendations to improve stakeholder
performance, and the theoretical principle upon which the recommendation is based. Both
recommendations fall under cultural setting as organizational effectiveness increases when
leaders ensure that employees have the resources needed to achieve the organization’s goals
(Clark & Estes, 2008).
Table 11
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Organization
Influence
Principle and Citation

Context-Specific
Recommendation
Teachers need ongoing
professional
development on
behavior management
plan implementation
(Cultural Setting)
Organizational performance
increases when individuals
communicate constantly and
candidly to others about plans
and processes (Clark & Estes,
2008)
The organization will develop and
present a network-wide
professional development program
focused on school discipline that
outlines resources, time, metrics,
and goals.
Teachers need ongoing
feedback and coaching
on behavior plan
implementation
throughout the year
(Cultural Setting)
Effective change efforts
ensure that everyone has the
resources (equipment,
personnel, time, etc.) needed
to do their job, and that if
there are resource shortages,
then resources are aligned
with organizational
priorities (Clark and Estes,
2008).
The organization will add
behavior-management coaching
and feedback to its current
coaching model

Providing teachers with a behavior-management professional development
program. Approximately 80% of teachers had not received formal ongoing professional
development on behavior management in the classroom. Such lack of preparation led to
inconsistencies in implementing the school-wide behavior-management system and increases
office discipline referrals. A recommendation rooted in cultural setting theory has been selected
to close this organizational gap. Clark and Estes (2008) indicated how organizational
performance increases when individuals communicate constantly and candidly to others about
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 85

plans and processes. The recommendation is for the organization to develop and present a
network-wide professional development program focused on school discipline that outlines
resources, time, metrics, and goals. For example, the professional development program may
include allocated time during the school’s mid-day block session for behavior management
training that outlines specific goals for the week pertaining to student behavior.
Research highlights how providing teachers with professional development in behavior
and classroom management leads to more effective classrooms (Behnke, 2006; Korb et al.,
2015). Behnke studied the effects of a brief in-service training session for teachers on behavior
management. The study revealed that teachers using the behavior-management training
strategies in the classroom were more skilled at managing behavior (Behnke, 2006). Korb et al.
studied the impact of professional development on a teacher's approach to school discipline. The
study revealed shifts of a punitive behavior management style to a more proactive approach after
teachers participated in an in-service training on effective classroom management strategies
(Korb et al., 2015). This evidence affirms the need for the organization to offer a professional
development program focused on school discipline.
Providing teachers with behavior-management coaching. Approximately 80% of
teachers had not received formal behavior-management coaching within the current school
coaching model. The lack of coaching led to ineffective implementation of the behavior-
management system, thus leading to higher office discipline referrals. A recommendation rooted
in cultural setting theory has been selected to close this organizational gap. Clark and Estes
(2008) indicated that effective change efforts ensure that everyone has the resources (equipment,
personnel, time, etc.) needed to do their job, and that if there are resource shortages, then
resources are aligned with organizational priorities. The recommendation is for the organization
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 86

to add behavior-management coaching to its current school-wide coaching model. For example,
the coaching model could dedicate 2 days out of the week specifically for teachers to be
observed and given real-time coaching feedback on their implementation of the current-behavior
management system.
Sperry (2000) and Butler (2014) studied the impact of teacher formal behavior-
management coaching and the effective management of behaviors in the classroom. Sperry
examined the effectiveness of coaching in increasing teacher use of classroom management
strategies for the prevention and management of problem behaviors in preschool-aged students.
Sperry’s participants included six preschool teachers, six specific preschool students, and a
sample of 57 preschool students. Study findings highlight that coaching increased teacher use of
classroom management strategies with preschool children; as a result, positive changes in social
play behavior of preschool children were also observed. Butler studied the impact of 30-minute
weekly coaching conversations on classroom behavior management in the classroom. The
participants in the study included five specific teachers and five specific students. The study
revealed how coaching conversations increased teacher confidence and comfort with behavior
management strategies, resulting in large reductions in problem behavior. This evidence affirms
the need for the organization to provide teachers with behavior-management coaching through its
current coaching model.
Limitations and Delimitations
The study sought to address the KMO influences of teachers toward their utilization of
the school-wide behavior management system. That I am an administrator at Venceremos
Academies may be a limitation to the study as it could have influenced participants’ responses to
the interview questions. Additionally, my positionality within the organization may raise
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 87

questions of researcher bias (Merriam & Tidsell, 2016). While nine of 12 teachers participated
voluntarily in the study, whether other teachers were reluctant to participate was a result of
already existing KMO influences remains unknown. The sample size might also have been a
limitation of this study, as three teachers who did not participate could have revealed further
findings or underscore current findings.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to examine how teacher were currently utilizing the
school-wide behavior management system as well as knowledge, motivation, and organizational
influences that may have been impacting increasing levels of office discipline referrals at the
school. The literature review in this study indicated the bearing of current discipline systems in
U.S. schools on both student achievement and school culture overall. Research also highlights
the significance of the role of teachers in school-wide culture when it comes to school discipline.
Therefore, it was essential to examine knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that
increased or obstructed teacher effectiveness in managing behaviors in the classroom. This study
revealed how school teachers did not have the procedural knowledge to effectively implement
the behavior-management system in their classrooms. Upon reflection of their skills, teachers
identified how their lack of understanding about how to implement the system impacted their
overall confidence in using the system and their capabilities to manage behavior. Ultimately,
because the teachers were not confident in using the system, they found the system ineffective
and thus of no value. Teachers were left to figure out how to manage student behavior on their
own as the organization did not provide professional development or coaching on effective
behavior management techniques.
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 88

With suspension and expulsion rates increasing across U.S. schools., teacher
development and coaching on behavior management must be at the forefront of teacher
preparation programs, districts, and charter management organizations. Ultimately, the teachers
at a school are the most important individuals in the building because teachers work directly with
students regardless of their academic or behavior needs. Educational organizations must
consider the time, training, and resources teachers need to be adequately trained to manage
student behaviors. Once teachers are able to manage students, teachers are able to teach and
students are able to learn. Only when students learn does school and education become the true
equalizer. When students are sent to the office with discipline referrals, get expelled or
suspended, and lose out on valuable instructional minutes, the status quo persists.

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 89

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Appendix A: Participating Stakeholders with Sampling Criteria for Interviews
Participating Stakeholders
The stakeholder population of focus will be the elementary teachers at Venceremos
Academy’s Flagship site. The elementary teachers at Venceremos Academy’s Flagship school
teach grades kindergarten through fifth grade. The sampling for this study also highlights
sampling strategy. The elementary teachers within the kindergarten through fifth grades all
implement the same school-wide behavior management system, which aligns with the research
question. Thus, one main criterion identifies the stakeholder population of focus: kindergarten
through fifth-grade elementary teachers at Venceremos Academy’s Flagship site.
Interview Group Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers. The kindergarten through fifth-grade
teachers at Venceremos Academy’s Flagship site are the stakeholder focus group. Additionally,
the elementary teachers are the only teachers on campus who implement the school-wide
behavior management system. The research focuses on identifying knowledge and motivational
influences for the high rates of office-discipline referrals. Understanding the knowledge and
motivational influences of using the school-wide behavior management plan will support
answering the research questions.
Interview sampling (recruitment) strategy and rationale. The sampling strategy for
this research is nonrandom, purposeful, and convenient. Selecting elementary school teachers at
Venceremos Flagship’s School is purposeful because the stakeholders support understanding the
research problem of high office-discipline referrals and showed interest in answering the outlined
research questions (Maxwell, 2013). Additionally, the teachers represent convenience sampling
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 98

as they are within the organization being studied and the organization at which the researcher
works.
The researcher will seek out 12 teachers, two from each grade-level, to conduct face-to-
face interviews. The interview will involve unstructured and open-ended questions to elicit
views and opinions from the participants (Creswell, 2014). Targeting teachers from each grade
level could solicit differing knowledge and motivational influences due to the development needs
of students or could also shed light on common knowledge and motivational themes across grade
levels. Having varying grade-level teachers will specifically support with answering the third
research questions, because recommendations could be differentiated depending on findings for
different grade-level teachers. Explaining the potential organizational impact of the study allows
participants to understand the collaborative nature of the research study (Maxwell, 2013).
Maxwell asserted how working collaboratively allows for both participant and the researcher to
feel that the generation of knowledge yields personal and social change.
Explanation for Choices
Because the sampling of teachers will be composed of 12 educators, data collection
through interviews is the most appropriate. The interview format allows specific questions to be
asked, allowing for sufficient insights of knowledge and motivational gaps in achieving the
stakeholder goal of reducing office discipline referrals by 80%. Due to the small sample size, the
information can be extracted from strategic questioning through interviews. Additionally,
Creswell (2014) asserted that interviews allow participants to provide historical information.
Interviews will therefore lend themselves to providing relevant historical information regarding
knowledge and motivation gaps and will offer insights into the extent of organizational barriers.

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Appendix B: Interview Protocol

The researcher will ask the participants who agreed to partake in the study the following
interview questions. Participants engaged in the interview protocol will have signed the
informed consent form. The purpose of the semi-structured open-ended interview questions is to
determine if educators have a gap in knowledge, motivation, or experience organizational
barriers that affect their ability to implement the school-wide behavior management system.

Script prior to interview:
I’d like to thank you once again for being willing to participate in the interview aspect of my
study. As I have mentioned to you before, my study seeks to understand the reasons for the rate
of office discipline referrals at your school. The study seeks to understand if there are
knowledge, motivation, or organizational gaps that contribute to the problem through the
perspectives and experiences of teachers. Our interview today will last approximately one hour
during which I will be asking you about your experience as an educator here, your awareness of
the school-wide behavior management system, and how the organization supports you with
implementing a school-wide behavior plan.

Prior to our interview, you signed a consent form [review aspects of consent form].

A signed consent forms acknowledges that I have your permission (or not) to audio record our
conversation. Are you still ok with me recording (or not) our conversation today? ___Yes ___No
• If yes: Thank you! Please let me know if at any point you want me to turn off the recorder
or keep something you said off the record.
• If no: Thank you for letting me know. I will only take notes of our conversation.

Before we begin the interview, do you have any questions? [Discuss questions]
If any questions (or other questions) arise at any point in this study, you can feel free to ask them
at any time. I would be more than happy to answer your questions.

Research and Interview Questions Alignment to Conceptual Framework

Knowledge Influences
Research Question #1: What is the stakeholder knowledge and motivation related to reducing
office discipline referrals by 80%?
Procedural: Teachers need to understand on how and when to effectively implement the
current school-wide behavior management plan in their classrooms
1. Could you please describe what the school-wide behavior system is at your school?
2. What are your thoughts on the purpose of the school-wide behavior system.
3. Explain how you would use the school-wide behavior system in your classroom.
4. What warrants a clip up or a clip down?
5. Could you please explain the process that helped you learn how to use the school-wide
behavior system?
Metacognitive: Teachers need to reflect on how effectively they implement the school-wide
behavior management system to improve implementation
1. What questions do you still have about the school-wide behavior system?
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2. What would be helpful to address those questions? Why?
3. How effectively and consistently do you use the school-wide behavior system? What
impact has your level of use have on your classroom?

Motivational Influences
Research Question #1: What is the stakeholder knowledge and motivation related to reducing
office discipline referrals by 80%?
Self-Efficacy: Teachers need to believe they are capable of implementing the school-wide
behavior management system
1. How do you define effectiveness when it comes to using the behavior management
system?
2. Explain how comfortable you feel with implementing the school-wide behavior system
and why you feel that comfort level.
3. How confident do you feel with implementing the school-wide behavior system?
a. What evidence do you have for this assertion?
Utility Value: Teachers need to believe that the behavior-management system is effective
4. Do you find the behavior-management system useful? Why or why not?
5. Why do you use or not use the school-wide behavior system?

Organizational Influences
Research Question #2: What is the interaction between organizational culture and context
and stakeholder knowledge and motivation?
Cultural Setting: The schools needs to provide teachers with professional development on the
school-wide behavior management system
1. Describe what professional development looks like at your organization.
2. Describe professional development in relation to behavior management and the school-
wide system.
3. What would be some effective components for an effective professional development
training on behavior management?
Cultural Setting: The school needs to provide teachers with on-going coaching on behavior
management plan implementation throughout the year
1. In general, describe what coaching and feedback looks like at your school?
2. Describe coaching/feedback as it relates to behavior management.
3. What should coaching for behavior management look like at your school?

Before we conclude this interview, is there something about your experience at this school in
regards to the behavior-management system that we have not yet had a chance to discuss?
[Discuss topics]

Thank you so much for your time. I will be following up with you in about 3 days with a
transcript of this conversation for your approval before I move forward with the analysis.

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Appendix C: Credibility and Trustworthiness
Credibility and trustworthiness in qualitative research suggest that findings are accurate
according to the researcher and participants (Creswell, 2014). Creswell suggested using multiple
credibility procedures to check the accuracy of findings. In this research, the researcher will
employ three credibility procedures: (a) addressing researcher bias, (b) using rich descriptions to
convey findings, and (c) triangulating data.
Clarifying researcher bias. It was important to ensure credibility and trustworthiness in
this study to limit researcher bias as the researcher is an employee at the organization being
studied. To clarify research bias, the researcher will include a thoughtful reflection section in the
study, recognizing positionality and addressing ways to reduce research bias. The reflection will
include how the data interpretation and analysis are inherently shaped by the researcher’s
background, gender, culture, profession, and socioeconomic region.
Rich descriptions to convey findings. In the interview process, I will elicit rich
responses by asking specific, targeted, and strategic questions aligned to the research question.
Verbatim transcripts will be created from interviews, which produce rich data for analysis
(Maxwell, 2012). The rich data provided by transcripts and prompted through strategic
questioning improves the coding and analysis of responses and ensures that no relevant data are
excluded from the study, thereby ensuring accurate findings. Data collection will include
detailed descriptions of the setting and participant background, and offer themes generated
through various perspectives, enhancing research credibility and trustworthiness (Creswell,
2014).
Triangulation of data. Using a semistructured interview protocol and the same protocol
for all participants allows for the triangulation of data. Various teachers with varying
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professional and personal experiences will be interviewed. Through data analysis of various data
points, themes will emerge. Emerging themes from various data points and perspectives increase
study credibility and trustworthiness (Creswell, 2014).

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Appendix D: Ethics
Ethical concerns must be addressed in research to contribute knowledge that is believable
and trustworthy to the field (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). As a researcher, considering and
addressing the ethical concerns ensures that human participants are fully informed and willingly
participating in the study. A study involving human participants requires four key components:
informed consent, voluntary participation, data and participation confidentiality, and data storage
security. Informed consent empowers research participants keeping them well-informed about
their voluntary participation, the effects of the study on well-being, and having ownership of
when to stop their participation (Glense, 2011). In this study, participants will receive informed
consent form explaining the purpose, procedures, potential risks, possible benefits,
confidentiality, participation withdrawals, key contact information, and rights as a participant. If
agreed, participants will sign the form acknowledging being fully informed and agreeing to
participate as outlined in the informed consent form.
The researcher’s relationship to Venceremos Academy is professional in nature. The
researcher taught middle school Spanish and social studies on campus for 2 years and was an
instructional coach for one year. Last year, the researcher held the principal-in-training position
in preparation for founding the newest school. At the time of this study, the researcher is the
founding principal of Venceremos’s newest school in another region. As such, the researcher is
invested in Venceremos achieving the organizational goal of reduced office-discipline referrals
for both the effectiveness of the charter management network (CMO). To prevent ethical
infractions, the researcher will review the Ethical Issues Checklist (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016)
and ensure the researcher’s dissertation chair serves as an ethical advisor for this study.
Creswell (2014) advises researchers to respect potential power imbalances during interviews.
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 104

The researchers’ presence could therefore elicit bias participant responses (Creswell, 2014). The
research study will be conducted in one of the network schools not led by the researcher; thus,
the researcher will not be a direct manager or supervisor of interviewed teachers. As a school
principal of one of the network schools, I must administer clear steps to reduce a feeling of
coercion. The researcher will be explicit in the informed consent form regarding the voluntary
nature of the study and the ability of participants to opt in or out at any point during the study.
The researcher will regularly remind the participants as such throughout the study. Responses
will also be kept anonymous, and no identifiable information will be present within any part of
the study.
Maxwell (2013) asserted that researcher bias is the largest threat to the external validity
of a research study. Researcher bias is the influence of the researcher’s experience and beliefs
on data collection and data interpretation. The researcher may have some internal bias resulting
from personal experience as a Latino man who has gone through the public-school system and
has used largely punitive disciplinary approaches. Personal beliefs about effective and
ineffective disciplinary systems could therefore elicit bias data collection and interpretation.
Having been a new teacher with strong classroom management and little need for using a
disciplinary system could also result in internal biases. The data interpretation step is the activity
at highest risk of influence by researcher bias. To reduce the risk, the researcher will self-reflect
during the data-interpretation process (Creswell, 2014).

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Appendix E: Email Correspondence for Teacher Recruitment

SUBJECT: Research Opportunity

Dear __________________,

Hope you’re doing well.

I am currently pursuing a doctoral degree in education Leadership from the University of
Southern California. You have been chosen to participate in an important research study
regarding our school-wide behavior management system and its overall effectiveness. The focus
of the study is to reduce office discipline referrals our students experience. If you agree to
participate, you are asked to please respond to this email agreeing to the interview and proposing
an interview time that works for you at a place of your choice. I would like to express my
sincere appreciation for your participation, as I know your time is precious and you are
extremely busy.

Muchísimas gracias,
José González
Venceremos Academy

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Appendix F: Email Correspondence Reply to Participants

REPLY:
Thank you for your interest in my research study. I will get back to confirming the exact date,
time and location for our interview. Please prepare yourself by reflecting on your understanding
and use of the school-wide behavior management system.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

I’ll be in touch with you again tomorrow.

Muchísimas gracias,
José González
Venceremos Academy

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Appendix G: Informed Consent Form

University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education –
Doctorate of Education, Organizational Change & Leadership

INFORMED CONSENT FOR NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH

Reforming Student Discipline Policies in Elementary Schools: An Improvement Study
You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by doctoral candidate Jose Gonzalez
and Frederick Freking, Ed.D. at the University of Southern California because you are an
elementary school teacher at the study site. Your participation is voluntary and you may opt in
and out of the study throughout its duration. You should read the information below, and ask
questions about anything you do not understand, before deciding whether to participate. Please
take as much time as you need to read the consent form. You may also decide to discuss
participation with your family or friends. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to sign
this form. You will be given a copy of this form.

I am requesting your participation in an interview that will assist me in collecting data for my
dissertation investigating effective implementation of a school-wide behavior management
system. If you volunteer to participate in this study, you will be asked to participation in one-on-
one interviews regarding your preparation in using a behavior-management system, how
knowledgeable you are about the systems implementation, motivation to use or not use the system,
and the organization resources and support provided by school administrators.

The interview will consist of 12-14 questions and be conducted in English. Follow up and probing
questions will be asked to dive deeper into your answers. I will use a password protected cellphone
to record your answers, and then get them transcribed. Within a week, you will receive a copy of
the transcription for your approval prior to data analysis. The results of this study may be published
but no names or identifiable information will be included. Research records will be kept
confidential to the extent allowed by law. The data will be kept for three years in a locked filing
cabinet with only the researcher having access to collected data. As this is a research study, the
benefits are contingent upon the results. However, the hope is to provide insight for the
organization to improve its systems and approaches to school discipline while improving teacher
practice.

As previously stated, your participation in this project is voluntary and you are welcomed to opt
in or opt out of the study at any time. The following interview protocol contains no foreseeable
risks. Confidentiality will be provided to the extent allowed by law. We will keep your records
for this study confidential as far as permitted by law. However, if we are required to do so by law,
we will disclose confidential information about you. The members of the research team and the
University of Southern California’s Human Subjects Protection Program (HSPP) may access the
data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research studies to protect the rights and welfare of research
subjects.
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 108

Your participation is voluntary. Your refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of
benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You may withdraw your consent at any time and
discontinue participation without penalty. You are not waiving any legal claims, rights or remedies
because of your participation in this research study.

If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Principal
Investigator, Jose Gonzalez, at 650-773-2177 or josergon@usc.edu or Faculty Advisor, Frederick
Freking at freking@rossier.usc.edu.

If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant or the
research in general and are unable to contact the research team, or if you want to talk to someone
independent of the research team, please contact the University of Southern California
Institutional Review Board, 1640 Marengo Street, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90033-9269.
Phone (323) 442-0114 or email irb@usc.edu.

SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT

I have read the information provided above. I have been given a chance to ask questions. My
questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I have
been given a copy of this form.

□ I agree to be audio/video-recorded /photographed

□ I do not want to be audio/video-recorded /photographed

Name of Participant

Signature of Participant Date

SIGNATURE OF INVESTIGATOR

I have explained the research to the participant and answered all of his/her questions. I believe
that he/she understands the information described in this document and freely consents to
participate.

Name of Person Obtaining Consent

Signature of Person Obtaining Consent Date

REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 109

Appendix H: Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
The integrated implementation and evaluation plan is based on the New World
Kirkpatrick Model. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), there are three reasons to
formally evaluate improvement programs: program improvement, demonstration of value, and
maximizing the conversion of learning into employee behavior changes that facilitate achieving
organizational goals. The New World Kirkpatrick Model consists of four levels of training and
evaluation: (4) Results, (3) Behavior, (2) Learning, and (1) Reaction (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick,
2016). Level 4 defines the results of a program or the desired outcome of an initiative and the
degree to which the objectives are being met. Level 3 outlines critical and required behaviors
necessary for individuals to achieve the desired results. Level 2 assesses an individual’s learning
through measuring knowledge, skills, attitudes, self-efficacy, and commitment. Level 1
evaluates an individual’s reaction to desired behavior including learner’s engagement and
satisfaction. Using the New World Kirkpatrick Model as a framework for the implementation
and evaluation plan will allow the organization to measure the success of the desired outcomes
while providing opportunities for continuous improvement during the execution of the
implementation and evaluation plan.
Organizational Purpose, Need, and Expectations
The purpose of this study was to evaluate knowledge, motivation, and organizational
influences affecting the rise of school discipline referrals in the organization. Through a review
of the literature and interviews conducted with teachers in the organization, six influences were
determined as areas for improvement (a) teacher’s knowledge of when and how to use the
behavior management system; (b) teachers’ ability to reflect on their effective use of the
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management system; (c) teachers self-efficacy in implementing the behavior management
system; (d) a lack of teachers’ valuing the school-wide system; (e) a lack of behavior
management training; (f) and a lack behavior management coaching. The proposed solutions to
mitigate these gaps include the successful implementation and execution of training programs for
teachers in the organization; these training programs would include behavior management
coaching in the organization’s current coaching model. The desired outcome of these proposed
solutions is to reduce office discipline referrals and thereby enhance the organization’s
effectiveness toward its desired mission and vision. More specifically, Venceremos Academies
Flagship Site’s goal is that, by June 2020, it will reduce office discipline referrals by 80%.
Teachers will drive the organizational performance goal with the following specific stakeholder
goal: by June 2020, Venceremos Academy’s Flagship teachers will effectively implement the
school-wide behavior management system with fidelity.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
The focus of results is the most important level of the implementation plan and the reason
that training is conducted. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016), the organization
only has one goal. The goal of Venceremos Academy’s Flagship site is to reduce office
discipline referrals by June 2020. The proposed leading indicators, which are the key outcomes,
include improved state accountability report card scores—due to lower office discipline
referrals—school-site reduction of office discipline referrals, and teachers’ increased and
consistent use of the school-wide behavior management system. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick
posited that the benefits of these proposed indicators is to identify barriers that may affect
outcomes, motivate stakeholders, and provide information related to training and performance.
The external and internal outcomes, metrics, and methods for level 4 is found in Table H1.
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Table H1

Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes

Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
Improved State School
Accountability Report Card
scores due to a decrease in office
discipline referrals
Number of
suspensions and
expulsions year after
year
State School Accountability
Report Card
Internal Outcomes
Reduction of office discipline
referrals
Number of office
discipline referrals
tracked by teacher
Weekly report in Principal
Newsletter
Teachers’ increased and
consistent use of the school-wide
behavior management system
Number of times
teacher used the
school-wide behavior
tracker
Weekly Informal, unannounced
classroom walkthroughs by the
school Principal and Dean of
Culture

Level 3: Behavior
Critical behaviors. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) described Level 3 as a
continuing evaluation of performance and the use of critical behaviors that increase the chances
that the outcomes in Level 4 will be met. Three critical behaviors are necessary for Venceremos
Academy’s Flagship teachers to achieve their performance goal: (a) increased teacher
confidence, (b) participation in a training and coaching program, and (c) teachers regularly use
the school-wide behavior system. The metrics necessary to measure, the methods for the
measurement, and the timing for the measurements are described in Table H2.

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Table H2

Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
(a) Teachers
demonstrate
increased confidence
using the school-
wide behavior
management system.
Number of times each
teacher shares an
experience in which they
have effectively
implemented the behavior
system.
School administration
will track the number of
times teachers share an
experience during mid-
day block and ROCI
sessions.
Weekly and
at every
ROCI
Session (3x
year)
(b) Teachers attend
the training program
and coaching on
behavior
management
Number of teachers who
attend the training and
coaching on behavior
management.
School administrators
will review record of
teacher who have
received training and
coaching
Weekly
(c) Teachers
regularly use the
school-wide behavior
management system
4.a. Number of teachers
who report using the
school-wide behavior
management system

4.b. Number of student
reflection sheets turned into
the office, which represents
teachers using the system
effectively before sending
students to the office
4.a. Teachers will report
their use of the school-
wide behavior
management system in a
school-wide tracker

4.b. Dean of Culture will
track the number of
reflection sheets and note
which teacher the
reflection sheet came
from
Daily

Required drivers. The support and accountability of the critical behaviors are
accomplished through the “processes and systems” that the organizations provide. These
systems are also known as required drivers. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) described
effective required drivers as those that reinforce, monitor, encourage, and reward the
performances of the stakeholders. For teachers to achieve their goal of effectively using the
school-wide behavior management system, they must know how to use strategies to manage
stress, positive emotions, and confidence when providing care, and possess resources and
support from the healthcare team. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick encouraged the creation of an
“integrated package” when presenting the use of required drivers, which in this study would
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 113

improve the teacher’s performance. Table H3, below, lists the methods of monitoring,
reinforcing, encouraging, and rewarding that needs to occur to facilitate teachers’ learning. Table
H3
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing Critical
Behaviors
Supported
Reinforcing

Teachers will receive Principal Newsletter with reminders to fill out
behavior tracker and tips, resources for the use of behavior
management system.

Teachers will receive mini-workshops by school administration
throughout the year with a focus on how to effectively implement
the behavior management system.

Teachers will receive coaching sessions and real-time feedback on
how to effectively implement the behavior management system.
Weekly

Weekly

Weekly
1

1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3
Encouraging

Teachers will receive a survey from administration to ensure
teachers feel supported with the use of the behavior management
system.

Teachers will be assigned a coach to provide feedback and coaching
on behavior management throughout the school year.
Monthly

Prior to beginning
the school year
1, 2

1, 2, 3, 4
Rewarding

At mid-day block, school administrators will highlight strong
teachers through video recordings implementing the system.

Teachers will share a positive experience using the behavior system
with the school team at a Results Oriented Cycle of Inquiry (ROCI)
session.

School administrators will shout out teachers who have shown a
reduction of office discipline referrals in Principal Newsletter.
Weekly

Three times a year,
once at every
benchmark

Weekly

1, 3

1, 3

1, 2, 3
Monitoring

Teachers will receive Principal Newsletter with regularly updated
tracker with number of students sent to the office.

Teachers will review, analyze, and develop next steps for behavior
management implementation by reviewing office-discipline referral
rates at sessions in Result Oriented Cycles of Inquiry (ROCI) for
Principal review.
Weekly

Three times a year,
once at every
benchmark
1, 2, 3

1, 2, 3

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Organizational support. Venceremos Academy will support teachers and their goal of
effectively implementing the school-wide behavior management system by developing a scope
and sequence of professional development throughout the year. Currently, the organization only
provides teachers one brief overview of the behavior-management system a year. The current
professional development provides teachers information on what behaviors warrant a “clip-
down” and what the colors at each level mean. To reinforce, encourage, reward, and monitor the
effective use of the system, a scope and sequence outlining constant professional development
throughout the year will prove beneficial for teachers. The goal relies heavily on the support for
teachers through their instructional coaches. Therefore, the organization must provide training
for coaches on how to instruct specifically for behaviors in the classroom and how to adopt the
current coaching model to incorporate behavior coaching. Venceremos Academy is a school
valuing data-driven decision making; as such, the organization develops, uses, and maintains
several data tracking systems. A similar approach will be used to track learning and
implementation of the program.
Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. Venceremos Academies needs to create a program that supports the
learning experiences of teachers to effectively perform the critical behaviors outlined in Level
3. Teachers need to have knowledge, skills, and confidence with the appropriate resources to
maximize learning (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Listed below are the goals for teachers to
effectively implement the school-wide behavior management system:
1. Explain how and when to implement the school-wide behavior management system.
(Procedural Knowledge)
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2. Reflect on how effectively teachers implement the school-wide behavior management
system. (Metacognitive Knowledge)
3. Believe teachers are capable of effectively implementing the school-wide behavior
management system. (Self-Efficacy)
4. Believe the school-wide behavior management system is an effective approach to
managing student behaviors. (Utility Value)
Program. To support teachers’ development in behavior management, Venceremos
Academies will create a professional development and coaching program to meet the learning
goals identified above. The professional development program will focus on school discipline
that outlines resources, coaching, time, metrics, and goals. One of the most unique aspects of
Venceremos Academies model includes an hour in the afternoon called the “mid-day block.”
During the mid-day block, teachers have specific objectives, goals, and deliverables, ranging
from math intellectual preparation and data analysis meetings to specific professional
development. The behavior management program will occur during mid-day block hour every
first Wednesday of the month. This approach to the professional development program is
consistent with Behnke’s (2006) and Korb et al.’s (2015) findings that brief in-service trainings
yield more effective teachers in behavior management implementation.
To hold teachers accountable for implementing behavior management strategies from the
professional development and to support teachers in their continuous development, the program
will include a coaching element. Instructional coaches, deans of culture, and principals will
conduct biweekly walkthroughs of classrooms, specifically with a behavior management lens.
The walkthroughs will focus on teacher actions and metrics outlined in the professional
development sessions. Afterwards, the school administration will hold an hour-meeting
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 116

identifying teacher trends—both strengths and areas of growth—and ascertain the next coaching
lever for each teacher. Each administrator will be assigned a teacher to coach directly. Once the
next coaching lever is identified, the administrators will conduct 30-minute coaching
conversations as Butler (2014) has outlined. Coaching conversations will follow the
Venceremos Academies’ approach to coaching, with a focus on behavior management. Teachers
will implement the next coaching lever the following week, and the coach will visit classrooms
for a follow-up observation. Depending on need, administrators could opt to video record
teachers and provide real-time feedback. The coaching component of the program will allow
administrators to “close the loop” on professional development goals to ensure learning is
implemented in classrooms.
Evaluation of the components of learning. As described in the literature review, the
combination of knowledge and motivation are necessary contributors to improving stakeholder
performance. Therefore, it is important to evaluate learning for knowledge and motivation to
ensure that teachers have the information and motivation they need to recognize the value of
their decisions. Teachers need to have the self-efficacy to apply the newly obtained knowledge
and effectively implement the school-wide behavior management system. As such, Table H4,
below, lists the evaluation methods and timing for these learning components.

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Table H4
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program.
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”

Knowledge assessment exit ticket

Verbal checks for understanding about how and
when to use behavior-management system

Verbal and written summary of the process to use
the behavior-management system
After every professional development
session
During the professional development
sessions and coaching conversations

During professional development sessions
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”

Teachers will role-play using the behavior-
management system

Teachers will immediately implement the real-
time feedback from coaches

Teachers practice using the next behavior
coaching lever
During professional development sessions
and coaching conversations

When teachers receive real-time feedback

During coaching conversations
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”

Open-ended survey question

Teacher discussion responses
Once every benchmark, three times a year

During professional development sessions
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”

Open-ended survey question using scaled items

Teacher comments
Once every benchmark, three times a year

During coaching conversations
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”

Teachers will attend and be on time to all
professional development sessions

Teachers will attend and be on time to all
coaching conversations

Teachers will implement all coaching levers

Teachers will complete all professional
development tasks
During professional development sessions

During coaching conversations

During instruction, through observation

During coaching conversations

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Level 1: Reaction
Level 1 evaluation consists of engagement, relevance, and customer satisfaction
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016), and will provide the basic, but necessary, feedback on the
quality of the training and coaching program. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick,
reactions can be measured through the observations of the leader, dedicated observer, or surveys.
Table H5, below, provides insight into the methods and tools that will be used for Level 1
evaluation of the teacher training and coaching program focused on behavior management.
Table H5
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement

Attendance at coaching conversations

Attendance at professional development
trainings

In-person facilitator observations

In-person exit ticket
During the coaching conversation

During the trainings

After training or coaching conversations

After training or coaching conversations
Relevance

In-person exit ticket

Brief pulse-check with participants via
discussion (ongoing)
After training or coaching conversations

During specific moments in the training or
coaching conversation
Customer Satisfaction

Brief pulse-check with participants via
discussion (ongoing)

In-person exit ticket
During specific moments in the training or
coaching conversation

After training or coaching conversations

Evaluation Tools
Immediately following the program implementation. During the training and
coaching conversations, the facilitators will use brief pulse-checks in the form of quick
discussions to ensure that the teacher is prepared to take on behavior-management using the
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school-wide behavior plan. Attendance sign-in sheets will be used to determine the rate of
attendance at in-person trainings and coaching conversations as an engagement measure. In-
person discussions will take place following each training to determine teachers’ knowledge and
skills. At the end of the training, a session exit ticket (see Appendix [A]) will be completed by
teachers. The exit ticket will gauge teacher engagement, relevance, and satisfaction with the
training and coaching conversations.
In alignment with the organization’s approach to data-driven decision-making, school
administrators will review the exit tickets to inform next steps and ways to improve coaching and
training. The administrators will use the exit tickets to identify trends to target the highest
leverage next step to maximize the effectiveness of coaching and training.
Delayed for a period after the program implementation. Approximately 1 month
after the training, school administration will administer a survey (see Appendix [B]). Timing
after a month ensures that each teacher has had four sessions of professional development and
four sessions of coaching conversations. The survey will contain a combination of nominal,
interval, and ratio questions to assess: teachers’ overall satisfaction and relevance of training for
teachers to effectively use the behavior-management system (Level 1); knowledge, skills,
confidence, attitude, commitment and value of applying training (Level 2); applicability of
learning to teachers’ ability to effectively use the behavior management system (Level 3); and
the extent to which teachers are able to effectively use the behavior management system to make
external and internal impacts (Level 4).
Data Analysis and Reporting
School administrators are responsible for providing teachers with professional
development and coaching centered on behavior management training to achieve the stakeholder
REFORMING ELEMENTRY SCHOOL DISCIPLINE 120

goal. It is important for the school administration team to meet the goals of training for teachers
as teachers will drive the attainment and progress toward the goal. An Excel tracker will be used
to track and report the success of the outcomes. The Excel tracker will report data on specific
measures to support the school administration on making improvements to their program. The
measures include: participation and engagement in the behavior management training, increased
use of the behavior management system, reduced number of office discipline referrals, and
overall satisfaction with behavior management coaching and professional development.
Summary
The above plan uses the Kirkpatrick New World Model to implement and evaluate a
professional development program intended to close knowledge, motivation, and organizational
goals to effectively lower the high rates of office discipline referrals. The assumed influences of
knowledge, motivation, and organization were based on validated influences found in the
literature review and with the themes found within the study’s semi-structured interviews. The
New World Model’s focus on results, implementation, and evaluation supports the
organizational goal of reducing office discipline referrals by 80%. With outlined outcomes,
critical behaviors, and required drivers, the model ensures all critical components of program
elements are evaluated at all four evaluation levels. Additionally, the focus on participants’
demonstrated application of new knowledge makes for more effective and productive
organizations (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). When implemented properly, this
implementation and evaluation plan will support closing the teacher performance gap, while
increasing their overall effectiveness with managing student behavior in the classroom.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract U.S. school discipline policies are increasingly punitive, and thus increase the rates of suspensions and expulsions. Punitive school discipline policies inadvertently target low-income, students of color at disproportionate rates compared to their White counterparts. The purpose of this study was to recognize and categorize the resources needed to reduce office discipline referrals at an elementary charter school. This study used Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis framework to evaluate teachers to determine whether gaps existed in knowledge and motivation, and to identify any organizational influences that might be producing the high rates of office discipline referrals. Specifically, the study focused on the teachers’ use of a school-wide behavior management system intended to effectively manage behaviors inside the classroom. This study set out to learn how and what teachers knew about using the school-wide behavior system. This study also sought to understand teachers’ perception of their capabilities of using the behavior-management system effectively and their perceptions of effectiveness of the school-wide system. The study set out to ascertain what types of strategies the organization employed to support teachers in their effective use of the school-wide behavior management system. The study consists of a literature review, qualitative interviews, and a program implementation plan. As a result, it reveals needs relation to knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that can increase teachers’ use of a behavior management system that could ultimately reduce office discipline referral rates at the study’s site.

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Asset Metadata

Creator González Molina, José Roberto (author)

Core Title Reforming student discipline policies in elementary schools: an improvement study

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 10/28/2019

Defense Date 06/28/2019

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Discipline,Elementary schools,OAI-PMH Harvest,policies,policy,reform

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Freking, Frederick (committee chair), Krop, Cathy (committee member), Pelino, Patricia (committee member)

Creator Email jose.roberto.gonzalez.molina@gmail.com,josergon@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-228445

Unique identifier UC11673481

Identifier etd-GonzlezMol-7884.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-228445 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-GonzlezMol-7884.pdf

Dmrecord 228445

Document Type Dissertation

Rights González Molina, José Roberto; Gonzalez Molina, Jose Roberto

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA