Educators' Justifications for Sending Students to a Disciplinary Alternative School Versus Student Outcomes: Examining Consistencies and Contradictions
Abstract
Educators assign students with challenging behaviors to disciplinary alternative schools despite evidence that these placements correlate with court involvement and school dropout. The subjective nature of student placements makes educators’ justifications for them highly relevant. This mixed methods study compares educators’ claims about the benefits of one disciplinary alternative school in the Southeast with the actual impact of the placement on student performance. Findings show that educators saw this alternative school both as a punishment and as providing needed support and services. However, students did not demonstrate significantly different academic or behavioral performance as a result of their placements, showing that educators’ justifications for placements revealed either ignorance or deception, which disproportionately impacted students of color.
