Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Peter A. Ross

Abstract

In early childhood centers, students with disabilities are being suspended and expelled, leaving them with no place to attend school to learn with their peers or to receive early intervention special education services. This study was designed to determine the effects of coaching on the number of suspensions and expulsions of students with disabilities attending early childhood centers. The framework for this study was based on the theory of Conjoint Behavioral Coaching. The research question was: What are the effects of a coaching intervention by early intervention teachers to early childhood teachers on the number of suspensions and expulsions of students with disabilities? A quasi-experimental design was used with data collected from a sample of 27 early childhood centers. The intervention consisted of pairing each early childhood teacher with an early intervention teacher to complete the coaching process. A t-test was utilized to determine a significant difference between pre- and post-suspension and expulsion data. A statistically significant difference was found in suspension and expulsion rates after the coaching intervention was utilized. The coaching appears to provide support for the early childhood teachers so that they are less inclined to suspend or expel students with disabilities from their classrooms. Implications for social change included reducing the high number of suspensions and expulsions in early childhood settings so that students with disabilities were able to remain in their educational setting with their peers who do not have disabilities.

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