Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) is a reinforcement schedule that commonly includes the delivery of a reinforcer following an interval during which a target behavior did not occur and extinction (i.e., the reinforcer is withheld following any instances of the target behavior). Although interventions using DRO schedules can…

Homework enables students to practice what they learn from classroom instruction. However, students' off-task behavior may negatively impact their engagement and performance during homework activities. Self-monitoring is an evidence-based intervention associated with improved engagement and decreased off-task behavior. Compared to traditional…

Alcohol use, especially heavy or binge-drinking behavior, among college students continues to be an area in need of prevention and effective clinical intervention. With the myriad of known consequences that are associated with problematic and risky drinking, it is crucial that there are evidence-based programs available and offered to college…

Stress and mental health difficulties are common burdens on college students. Although a small minority of these students receive psychological services, counseling centers have been overrun by demand. Thus, self-help interventions may offer a promising alternative to traditional college counseling services. The current study examined the…

School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) are an integral part of schools across the United States. When implementing SWPBIS, academic achievement, emotional regulation, prosocial behavior increases while behavioral problems, bullying, exclusionary discipline teacher stress and teacher burnout decrease. Despite the…

Given high rates of sexual violence on college campuses, prior research has identified bystander training as a promising prevention strategy. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has called upon athletic departments and student-athletes to be campus leaders in sexual violence prevention. There is a lack of research on optimal ways…

During 2019 the accreditation of a Catholic school serving students in special education, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools report recommended implementing a Positive Behavior Intervention Supports program (PBIS). This qualitative case study aimed to build on the growing research on Positive Behavior Intervention Supports and…

This dissertation investigates the "Competence Model for Environmental Education" (Kaiser, Roczen, & Bogner, 2008), a theoretical environmental-behavior change model, for use in the United States with elementary-aged students. Paper #1 tests two new instruments developed for use with the "Competence Model," the Expanded…

Community Partnership Schools™ are designed to serve as a positive resource center in their community, staffed with dedicated professionals committed to student success and community well-being (Coalition for Community Schools, n.d.; Ellis, 2016). Following the education model created at the University of Central Florida (UCF), the first…

This dissertation is an exploration of the experiences and perceptions the behavior support plan (BSP) had on individuals placed into residential services or an independent living facility through a state waiver in Indianapolis, Indiana. Autistic high school graduates were addressed in this study to look at the various behaviors they faced when…

Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) provide a way for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to self-manage challenging behaviors, which may ameliorate the need for more intensive individual interventions in schools. Using a concurrent multiple baseline design, our study examined whether Meditation on the Soles of the Feet (SoF), a brief MBP,…

This qualitative study explores teachers' perceptions on the implementation of brain breaks in upper elementary classrooms located in rural regions of southwest Missouri. The Researcher analyzed qualitative interview data to answer the following research questions: 1) To what extent are brain breaks built into the elementary classroom routine? 2)…

Student tardiness has not received as much attention as absences in research on school attendance, despite the disruptions to learning it can cause. The purpose of this study was to design, implement, and study an alternative intervention--the Student Training for a Restorative Outlook for Needed Growth (S.T.R.O.N.G.) Program--to the existing…

The purpose of this descriptive study was to obtain a better understanding of the varying levels of exposure to trauma professional development and training within school settings and the reported impact of this professional development/training, specifically (a) what is the relationship between the level of exposure to trauma training/PD and the…

High-quality teacher-student relationships are instrumental to the success of social and emotional learning interventions. Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (1986), is a theoretical framework that focuses on self-efficacy, collective efficacy, vicarious learning, and triadic reciprocal determinism (i.e., behavior, personal factors, and…