Schools across the nation are facing the challenge of addressing behavioral issues with students. Traditional approaches to discipline have been ineffective in improving student behavior. The passing of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 and revisions of the Individual Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004 require schools…

Since the beginning of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) program in the Study School District there has not been an evaluation of its effectiveness in reducing student discipline referrals and student suspensions and its success in promoting a positive learning environment leading to improved academic achievement. This study…

The accountability movement in education and the development of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model encourages school counselors to evaluate the effectiveness of their school counseling program based on student achievement. This study surveyed Wisconsin elementary school counselors to determine their use of…

The events of the Great Recession (2007-2009) have resulted in high unemployment and underemployment rates in the United States and abroad. The plight of domestic young adults, particularly young men with few work-related skills, is evident. Failing to receive a first job has long-term negative consequences for these individuals and their…

When students are able to cope with, manage and maneuver the social and emotional landscapes of their lives, their ability to learn on all levels improves. Teaching Social / Emotional Learning (SEL), as a component of secondary education, not only increases academic performance, but prepares students to meet the challenges of lifelong learning in…

American schools are faced with complex and deep-rooted challenges such as poverty, discrimination, weak school-family relationships, low student motivation, and high student mobility. These challenges must be overcome if children and youth are to meet their needs for belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity; experience social competence…

Behavior support in schools is increasingly viewed as a three-tier prevention effort in which "universal" interventions are used for primary prevention, "targeted" interventions are used for secondary prevention, and "intensive" interventions are used for tertiary prevention. A growing body of research has demonstrated the effectiveness of…

Bullying has been around for decades; however, with the advancements of new emerging technology and devices, the ability for bullying to transcend into the cyber-world is becoming an international issue. Researchers have been intently studying the effects associated with cyberbullying to gain a better understanding of its perpetrators, victims,…

This paper explores issues around stigmatisation and labelling as they pertain to pupils with SEBD. The paper draws upon an evaluative case study, conducted in two Scottish local authorities, of the implementation of support groups, and examines how the approach was experienced by pupils who participated within the intervention, drawing from a…

This is the second and final report summarizing findings from an impact evaluation of a violence prevention intervention for middle schools. This report provides findings from the second and third years of the 3-year intervention. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) contracted with RTI International and its subcontractors, Pacific Institute for…

This is the second and final report summarizing findings from an impact evaluation of a violence prevention intervention for middle schools. This report provides findings from the second and third years of the 3-year intervention. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) contracted with RTI International and its subcontractors, Pacific Institute for…

This study was a post-evaluation of graduates of Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a national program in high schools to promote entrepreneurship knowledge and skills. The study focused on graduates of the NFTE curriculum in an inner-city high school in Los Angeles County, California. Although the NFTE curriculum contains an evaluation…

Fidelity of implementation (FOI) is the extent to which delivery of an intervention adheres to the original intent of the program designer. FOI in educational studies is hindered by the lack of a universally agreed upon definition or set of criteria for measurement. With the increasing need for justification of reliability and validity of…

One simple and naturalistic strategy shown to have positive effects on both academic and behavioral outcomes is teachers' use of praise statements. Praise statements can be broadly categorized as general praise and behavior-specific praise (BSP). In a general praise statement, a teacher delivers verbal praise without describing the behavior for…

An assessment of a brief, but intensive modified Bully Busters universal prevention program on measures of teacher efficacy, teacher self-efficacy, teacher skills and knowledge about peer victimization, and teacher-reports of students' peer victimization was conducted with 30 elementary school teachers. Paired-samples "t" tests revealed…