This action research project implemented and evaluated a 12-week program using cooperative learning and Multiple Intelligences to increase student motivation for learning. The targeted population consisted of elementary and middle school students in a low-socioeconomic community in northern Illinois. The problem of motivation was documented in the…

This practicum was designed to decrease the number of at-risk high school students who were being transferred to alternative school sites because of disruptive behavior. One strategy implemented for this project involved having the program participants stay in one class all day while the teachers came into the classroom to teach their particular…

In 1990, a study was conducted at Snead State Junior College (SSJC) of students who were enrolled at the college in fall 1989 or winter 1990 but did not return in the subsequent quarter. Of 661 students identified as nonreturning, 489 were surveyed by telephone to determine their reasons for not returning. Demographic data on these students were…

A 12-week practicum was developed to improve school climate by using conflict resolution in grades K-6. Staff and students completed a poll designed to assess their concerns about the daily functioning of the school. The school's climate was discussed in light of how the student body reacted to the school setting, with emphasis on areas where…

An intervention with six elementary-aged students with behavioral disorders was designed to increase positive attitudes toward school and learning, to improve self-esteem and empowerment, and to decrease inappropriate behaviors. The Foxfire pedagogy was used to achieve academic goals and to empower students. Students identified characteristics of…

This paper reports on a practicum that was designed to improve the behavior of at-risk youth. It targeted seventh- and eighth-grade students who attended a 12-week middle school violence prevention program which utilized a multisensory approach in conjunction with group counseling. This practicum included an educational component for parents and…

The problem of sexual harassment in junior and senior high schools is addressed in this practicum. Its major goals were to raise the awareness and understanding of sexual harassment and to create a school environment that does not tolerate sexual harassment. It was found that both students and staff possessed a poor understanding of what defines…

Due to the increase in the number of non-physical bullying incidents observed by both teachers and administrators throughout the last year at a high-school, students were becoming so intimidated by other students that they were unwilling to even speak up about or report any such incidents to school administrators. A strategy was designed and…

This practicum used parent partnerships to increase parent involvement, student attendance, and appropriate school behavior at an alternative middle school for 100 at-risk students located in an impoverished rural area. The goals of the project were to: (1) increase parent involvement in the day-to-day activities of the school; (2) provide…

This practicum was designed to provide 237 elementary school students with strategies to improve their social interactions with adults and peers. The professional staff included 12 full-time teachers and 8 itinerant teachers who traveled to schools within the district. Workshops in conflict resolution strategies were presented for teachers to…

This practicum was designed to enhance methods and procedures used with 15 low-achieving, disinterested, and disruptive seventh grade students assigned to a middle school's alternative education program. The primary goal of the practicum was to increase students' responsibility for their own actions and their attention to learning. A secondary…

A practicum was designed to improve the quality of peer interactions among seventh and eighth graders in a private elementary-secondary school. The goals of the practicum were to facilitate positive peer interactions among the middle school students, create a more positive atmosphere in the middle school, and develop positive attitudes toward…

Counselors at one middle school would see the same students repeatedly for disruptive behavior in the classroom. The counselors' efforts did not appear to reduce these repetitive referrals. This study used group counseling to address the maladaptive behavior of the students and to improve their self-esteem. Students were selected by six teachers…

A 10-week program to increase assignment completion was implemented with 10 sixth graders who rarely completed assignments. This behavior modification program entailed the use of an assignment completion contract for the students. The criteria for meeting this contract increased each week. When students met the weekly criteria, they were given a…

A practicum was designed to enhance prekindergarten through eighth grade students' standards of conduct with the assistance of parents, teachers, and the school librarian. Literature themes, discussions, and five special programs were the major components for an 8-month period. Students were encouraged to exhibit positive behaviors, and respect,…