The Role of Leadership and the Equitable Disciplinary Outcomes of African American and Special Education Students in an Urban School District in Southern California

Abstract

Problem Statement. School leadership at an urban school district is suspending students at very high to high rates (California School Dashboard, n.d.). African American and special education students are recommended for suspension or expulsion instead of the lesser consequence of lunch or after-school detention (MHTS, 2021). Purpose. Morgan (2020) reported that insufficient studies are addressing the misunderstanding and mistreatment of African American and special education students, and because of limited phenomenological research on this topic, this research aimed to gain insight and delve deeper by interviewing the principals individually to fill this research gap from their point of view. Theoretical Framework. Hecker and Kalpokas (n.d.) believed that conceptual frameworks are a great way to analyze a system of concepts, assumptions, and beliefs that support or inform the research. The conceptual theories used were social justice leadership, transformational leadership, and culture and organizational leadership. Methodology. The method was a qualitative phenomenological study that used semistructured interviews to ascertain the lived experiences of the principal participants. Findings. The participants reported that factors such as biases, lack of knowledge, and lack of understanding of cultures hinder the equitable disciplinary outcomes of African American and special education students. Conclusions and Recommendations. Current data indicate that there is a need for transformative leaders who prioritize equitable outcomes and take steps to ensure that they implement changes that foster feelings of belongingness for African American and special education students. Keywords: equitable, disciplinary outcomes