Date of Award:

8-2022

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling

Department name when degree awarded

Special Education & Rehabilitation

Committee Chair(s)

Robert Morgan

Committee

Robert Morgan

Committee

Trenton Landon

Committee

Steven Camicia

Committee

Keith Christiansen

Committee

Tyson Barrett

Abstract

The purpose of this explanatory sequential, mixed methods research study was to identify the perceptions of school resource officers (SROs) regarding high school students with disabilities and their preparedness to work with this population, as a result of their SRO training. This study involved a national quantitative survey of SROs working in public high schools, followed by one-on-one interviews from the same sample to allow for a deeper analysis of the survey results and develop a theory on how training impacts SRO preparedness and their perceptions of high school students with disabilities. The resulting theory ascertained that the presence of disability and school-specific training, personal experience with disability, and a rapport with school staff, students, and families foster positive interactions with and perceptions of high school students with disabilities. The results of this mixed methods study may provide future researchers with a foundation for exploring each of the factors identified. The results could also serve as a tool for standardizing and implementing recruitment and training guidelines for SRO throughout the country.

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