Beginning in the early 1990s, many school districts began to implement zero-tolerance discipline policies that relied heavily on the use of suspensions. As a result, the number of students removed from the classroom and the school environment has dramatically increased over the past 30 years. To increase school safety and combat the rise of school violence, exclusionary discipline was used to establish harsher consequences for violent students. However, this practice has also begun to shift towards implementation when dealing with non-violent offenses as well. The goal of this research is to perform an exploratory study to investigate the overarching problem of practice: The high percentage rate of student suspensions from non-violent offenses. Yet, little is known about the details of these suspensions. Using a large dataset consisting of student discipline records and teacher survey responses, the research examines the leading causes of student suspension and the perceptions and actions of the teachers at Hill Valley High School. The findings suggest that the majority of student suspensions are a result of non-violent offenses; mainly from attendance related issues. Additionally, building relationships and communicating with students was highly likely of teachers when encountering disruptive students. The results suggest the need for modification of discipline policies and the establishment of a disciplined environment through positive social interactions. [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.]