This study addressed the problem of the dropout rate of marginalized students placed in disciplinary alternative education programs (DAEP). The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore West Texas DAEP educators' perceptions of the zero tolerance policy that resulted in the placement of marginalized students in DAEP and their perceptions of the practices that contributed to the attrition of DAEP-placed marginalized students. The study sample included seven DAEP educators across the region defined as West Texas, who were recruited through purposive sampling. Inductive coding within NVivo allowed themes to develop based on participant responses with the establishment of a hierarchical coding frame. The research findings indicated that DAEP educators perceived that proactive behavioral programs had an essential role in more positive outcomes for marginalized students. The findings showed that participants perceived that home campus teachers do not have adequate training to address marginalized students' socioemotional needs, which resulted in the use of exclusionary discipline practices. Lastly, the findings revealed that participants perceived there was no purposeful monitoring of marginalized student placements. These findings may lead to changes in educational practices and local policies that would positively impact marginalized students' abilities to graduate with their cohort peers and reduce the likelihood of experiencing exclusionary discipline. Recommendations for changes in practice included implementing proactive behavioral programs with fidelity that are aligned to critical race theory, ongoing and job-embedded training for home campus regular classroom teachers, and the implementation of a rubric to eliminate administrator bias with bi-annual reviews of the discipline data at the campus level. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]