Family structure and discipline problems at the middle school level

The study determined if there was statistical significance between student discipline problems in school and family composition. The plan researched these areas to find out if the family composition had a significant impact on student behavior, leading to more discipline referrals in school. The student target population for this study included exactly 289 students enrolled in the eighth grade at W. D. Sugg Middle School, in Bradenton, Florida. The methodology of this study involved a descriptive design, which used archival records to try and determine if there was a correlation in the data found. The study examined males and females in two different family compositions, those being biological and alternative. The use of descriptive statistics was used from the data gathered by the archival search completed on the students' school records. The Chi-square test was used to determine the level of significance for both null hypotheses. These hypotheses were then tested at the .05 level of significance. The two levels of significance were compared to determine whether one was more statistically significant than the other. The most significant findings indicated that only 25% of the total number of referrals received came from the biological family structure, which had 46% of the total population. In addition, a statistically significant finding indicated that 75% of the total number of referrals were received by 54% of the total population categorized in the alternative family composition. The findings indicated that the biological group had received an average of 1.33 referrals each and the students in the alternative group had received an average of 3.5 referrals. When all data were input using the Chi-square test of difference, both null hypotheses were rejected due to the fact that the significance level and value found were (1, N = 1011) = 44.89, p = .000. Values this large could not have happened by chance.;This information was significant to the study of families and certain school populations in order to determine where possible focuses of early intervention in potential discipline problems might occur. This study has a significant impact due to the fact that it can easily be seen and addressed within any institution.