Date of Conferral

11-13-2025

Date of Award

November 2025

Degree

Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A)

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Raj Sing

Abstract

Community stakeholders raised issue with the lack of evaluative tools to measure the effectiveness of the implemented school discipline policy in the Metro Atlanta School district. These tools are important to implementing the appropriate interventions to referred students in the district. This professional administrative study evaluated how exclusionary discipline practices influence equity and student outcomes within a Metro Atlanta school district. The guiding research question asked: Is the currently implemented discipline policy effective in promoting equitable student outcomes and reducing exclusionary practices? The concept used for this study is grounded in a constructivist paradigm, the study applied the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s six-step program evaluation model. Thematic and deductive content analyses was used to analyze the data. Seventeen participants—including educators, school staff, and community stakeholders—engaged through virtual focus groups and open-ended surveys. Findings showed that exclusionary practices disproportionately affected African American students and those with disabilities, perpetuating inequities in access, engagement, and academic success. Participants cited inconsistent documentation, limited use of evidence-based interventions, and opposition to zero-tolerance policies. Four themes emerged: policy ineffectiveness, racial disparities, stakeholder mistrust, and overreliance on punitive measures. Recommendations include adopting restorative practices, enhancing staff training in cultural competency and bias awareness, and implementing data-driven evaluation protocols. The implications for positive social change of this study are to promote fairness, reduce disparities and improve outcomes for all students.

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