A Multidimensional Investigation of Expulsion and Suspension Practices in Early Childhood Programs

Abstract

High rates of expulsion and suspension of young children, especially from childcare programs that are outside of state pre-kindergartens have been documented (Gilliam, 2005; Gilliam & Sharhar, 2006; U.S. Department of Education, 2014). Although a few studies have identified potential factors associated with the use of exclusionary discipline practices, no study has taken an in-depth, constructive approach. This dissertation applied a mixed-method design to obtain rich, contextual information about early childhood exclusionary discipline practices. Guided by the bioecological theory (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) and social constructivism (Guba & Lincoln, 1990), the research questions were designed to consider multi-level factors associated with the use of expulsion and suspension while prioritizing childcare providers’ voices and experiences. The study participants included three childcare programs all of which were outside of state pre-kindergarten systems. The primary data collection method was semi-structured interviews with classroom observations and document analysis as the secondary source. Results from thematic analysis demonstrated that the use of expulsion and suspension is affected by childcare providers’ perceptions, practices, as well as challenges that they encountered. Specifically, childcare providers tended to hold a deficit view of families and children with challenging behaviors. Classroom practices to address challenging behaviors were often reactive and exclusive instead of proactive or preventative. Challenges faced by childcare providers, such as working with families and lack of workforce competence, contributed to the use of exclusionary practices. Using the study findings, the conceptual framework was revised by including the family as an important part of the microsystem, by emphasizing the interaction between the child with challenging behaviors and others and between the family and the school as the major parts of the mesosystem, and by expanding the exosystem to include a view of childcare as a profession in the social context.