Measures of academic engagement and disruptive behavior in students are strong predictors of social, academic, and lifelong career outcomes. Educators need a measurement tool that is feasible, accurate, and cost-effective in order to identify students who may be in need of additional behavioral support. Direct Behavior Ratings (DBRs) offer a…

Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRCs) have proven effective across a vast array of behaviors and students by provide a rating system for school staff to report students' behavior progress. The current meta-analysis included eleven studies between 2007-2022, wherein participants ranged from preschool to sixth grade. The current study further…

Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) tend to have difficulty regulating their emotions and behaviors, which can have adverse academic and social effects (e.g., academic underachievement, failing grades, grade retention, suspensions, expulsions, school dropout, and peer rejection). Possible interventions that have…

This dissertation consists of a theoretical review and two empirical studies investigating college students' academic effort beliefs (AEB) and their relationship to academic functioning. The overarching goal of this project was to (a) better understand how college students think about effort as it relates to their academic endeavors, (b) develop a…

Most social communication tests used to measure change in young children with autism spectrum disorder have not undergone rigorous psychometric evaluation. Notably, and most relevant to the early intervention literature, there is little information on the sensitivity of these measures to change over time, despite their frequent use. Further, most…

Prior to this research study, it was not known if, and to what degree a relationship exists between the four key areas of Catholic school climate (collegial leadership, teacher professionalism, academic press and institutional vulnerability) and the organizational citizenship behavior of teachers. The purpose of this quantitative correlational…

Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) has emerged as a useful assessment method to identify behavioral risk and monitor behavioral progress. The development of an online training module has provided an option for low cost training accessible to a wide variety of users at their convenience. Although evaluation of the DBR online training module has…

Intelligence tests and adaptive behavior scales measure vital aspects of the multidimensional nature of human functioning. Assessment of each is a required component in the diagnosis or identification of intellectual disability, and both are frequently used conjointly in the assessment and identification of other developmental disabilities. The…

The climate of school is built by the relationships of the principal and teachers. Relationships between faculty and principals within schools depend on trust for developing a successful school. The researcher investigated if relationships maybe enhanced or deteriorated by the behaviors shown by the principal. The purpose of this correlational…

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the difference in pro-social behavior, self-regulation, overall reading performance, Lexile levels, and teachers' perception of classroom climate of kindergarten students who received the Ready to Learn (RTL; Brigman, Lane, & Lane, 2008) classroom guidance program (treatment group: n = 173)…

This mixed-methods action research study investigated the impact of makerspaces on student creativity. Seventy fifth-grade students were exposed to makerspaces for 12 weeks. Quantitative data were collected using two assessment instruments. Prior to the experience, the students were given a preassessment of their creative potential using the…

While there are appropriate tools to progress monitor academics, there is no universally accepted tool to progress monitor social behavior. The current study proposed the development of a series of brief behavior rating scales to correspond to important social skills domains on the Social Skills Rating Scale (Gresham&Elliott, 2008) and to…

Hispanic-American youth have been identified as a high-risk group for developing behavioral and emotional difficulties. Currently, there exist few behavioral and emotional screening measures targeting young children, with even fewer accessible to the Spanish speaking populations in the U.S. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether…

The purpose of this study was to develop a measure for use in assessing musical behaviors of preschool children in the context of regular music instruction and to determine the validity and the reliability of the measure. The Early Childhood Musical Behavior Measure (ECMBM) was constructed for use with preschool-aged children to measure their…

Assessment of social and emotional learning (SEL) in young children is critical to understanding developmental progress and informing care and instruction. The current study investigated the development of a behavior rating scale designed to measure SEL skills in preschool-age children. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the…