Date of Award

2002

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

W. Keith Christy EdD

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to add to the body of existing knowledge regarding the relationship between academic achievement and discipline problems found in schools today. The study undertook to determine if there is a correlation between the behavior of African-American male students and their academic achievement. Specifically, it examines their achievement in reading and whether or not these students have experienced serious discipline problems at school. The sample was limited to African-American male students who are in the eighth grade during the 2001-2002 school year. These students must have attended a middle school within the Little Rock School District continuously from grades six through eight. The student data was then divided into two groups based on performance on the reading portion of the Achievement Level Test administered in the fall of their sixth grade year (1991). Data was analyzed using the t test and chi square tests. Findings of the study showed that overall, there was no significant statistical difference between discipline problems and reading achievement except at the sixth grade level. Even though there was no statistical significance except at the sixth grade level, there was linkage at every level. All of the statistics proved that there is a correlation between reading achievement and discipline, but not consistently enough at the .05 level. The findings at grade six demand an explanation as to why this exception occurs. One possible explanation is that for the first time, some of the sixth grade students receive discipline sanctions for the first time. In elementary school, some infractions are dealt with in the classroom, whereas in middle school, sanctions are meted out according to the discipline handbook. Further study is called for in this area.

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