Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. It is estimated that 1 in 54 children has been diagnosed with ASD (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2020). One area of concern for some parents is food selectivity which can be a common problem…

Exclusionary discipline practices have a direct negative impact on individual students, schools, and society at large. To improve equity and cultural responsivity, active efforts to assess the contextual fit of effective strategies are necessary. The following study describes the Inclusive Skill-building Learning Approach (ISLA), an intervention…

This study investigated a current trend in anger-management groups labeled as leadership development. The goal of the investigation was to determine if leadership is a critical factor in working with angry youth. A total of 52 middle school-aged adolescents from 2 schools served as participants. Of those, 18 participants received a strength-based,…

This action research project report examined all forms of bullying behaviors and ways to reduce those behaviors. The project included 63 students from both a high school health class and a 6th and 7th grade middle school homeroom. The research was conducted from September 17, 2007 through December 14, 2007. In the specified locations, female to…

An action research project report was complete to discuss how homework completion and motivation is an ongoing issue and debate within the public schools. This is especially true in the middle school setting. The teacher researchers of this project chose to conduct a study in order to increase homework completion and motivation of middle school…

The presentation covers information on test anxiety reduction strategies from over thirty years of experience with clients of a variety of ages. Dr. Ross is from the College of Lake County. Dr. Driscoll is a private practitioner and Director of the American Test Anxieties Association. The purpose is to address age appropriate test anxiety…

This report discusses the activities and outcomes of an applied dissertation designed to improve gifted middle school students' participation in Quest class activities and academic achievement in Quest class. Students in the target group (n=36) were not achieving at expected levels academically, were not completing in-class assignments or homework…

A behavior modification program was developed and implemented to decrease the tardy behavior of 20 middle school students (ages 13 to 15) in a self-contained dropout prevention class. Student interviews revealed that the students were unable to manage their time, were not motivated to attend class, and did not find class rewarding. The…

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…

This report describes a program for improving performance of 54 sixth and seventh grade students with special needs included in a computer applications class. The targeted students exhibited deficiencies in basic computer classroom performance. Probable causes for poor performance were identified through a review of literature and an analysis of…

This practicum was designed to address the problem of middle school students reacting to and handling conflict situations with violent behavior in an urban environment. These responses affected the well-being and safety of all middle school students at the school. The major goal was for middle school students to increase their awareness of…