The problem addressed in this study was the increase in discipline infractions during the 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, and 2019-2020 school years among Black six-grade tween girls in Jefferson County Schools (JCS, a pseudonym). The numbers indicated a 44% increase in discipline infractions over a 4-year period. The purpose of this basic…

The education field has long wrestled with how to best handle students who behave badly. Specifically, students who behave in an unsafe manner towards other students present a special conundrum and the traditional response has been to suspend them (Adams, 2000; Black, 2016; Cerrone, 1999; Fabelo et al., 2011; Rumberger et al.,2016). The purpose of…

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), the process of developing and utilizing interpersonal skills for everyday life, has become a primary vehicle for structuring students' social and emotional health in the United States and across the world. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of understanding SEL practices, is increasingly at the…

The urban classroom environment presents unique challenges related to student behavior and classroom management. This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as a proactive approach to addressing these challenges. The study examines the impact of PBIS implementation in urban schools,…

Educational reform is at the forefront of legislatures and school districts across the United States (Hattie, 2011). To find and employ high school improvement initiatives that lead to improved educational experiences for students, educational leaders must examine in great detail what systems have been successful and then modify the initiatives to…

An intervention was implemented to address the high number of discipline violations due to an unconditional open-campus lunch policy at a senior high school. The intent of the intervention was to statistically measure discipline violations among voluntary participants and to determine whether or not a significant change occurred. The research…

The purpose of this study was to examine differences between academic and behavioral outcomes for three cohorts of sixth grade boys enrolled at Starlight Middle School, a large, urban school in the Midwest. A comparison was made between pre-, partial, and full intervention data, during three consecutive years of implementation of School-wide…

Educators are under increasing pressure to improve the climate and safety in urban schools. Unfortunately, schools have addressed school safety concerns by increasing exclusionary measures such as suspensions and expulsions. Knowing that exclusionary measures can have detrimental effects, state legislatures have called for more proactive…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the implementation of PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention Support) program had a positive significant effect in decreasing office discipline referrals in a local elementary school. A sample independent t-Test was used to examine data on the school's average office discipline referrals for two years…

The purpose of this study was to analyze School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS) and Behavior Intervention Support Teams (BIST) and their impact on managing student behavior in sample schools in Missouri by using methodological triangulation. Office disciplinary referrals (ODRs) and Safe School Act Violations during the 2012-2014 school…

This dissertation is focused on intentional intervention strategies adopted in a prior five-year period by Denver Area High School for the purpose of reducing suspensions, expulsions, referrals, other minor disciplinary infractions, and reduced failure rates. Those strategies included implementing a Culture of Care, which included (a) Restorative…

In 2009, district data revealed that new students at Appoquinimink School District (ASD) were struggling academically and socially. Several specific steps were taken to improve the outcomes of these new students. First, an in-depth review of the relevant data regarding new students in the district was conducted. A white paper on relevant research…

This study evaluated a comprehensive mentoring program on selected at-risk students with specific school problems (attendance, discipline referrals, and core area grades). The sample included youths in Grades 4-8 who differed on some characteristics including grade-level, ethnicity, and gender. For the purpose of this mixed methods study, the…

Suspension from school removes students from the educational environment and interferes with school progress by decreasing prospects of gaining academic and social skills. Suspension also negatively affects school attendance and is an indicator of future disciplinary problems. To address problem behaviors that can lead to school suspensions,…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) in an elementary school within a large, urban school district located in the South. The effects of first year implementation of the SWPBS program were studied by examining Office Disciplinary Referrals (ODRs) and academic achievement data in…