The implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has been attributed to a decrease in office discipline referrals (ODRs) and suspensions and to increase academic performance, and engagement, as well as staff, family, and student perceptions of a safe and positive school climate. High schools have had more significant…

Discipline disparities are driven by classroom teachers' decisions to refer a student for disciplinary action "and" by school administrators' decisions in response to those referrals (Amos, 2021). In this qualitative study, the researcher will explore educators' perceptions on the disparity in discipline referrals and evaluate…

The purpose of this study was to examine semester-long referral data from a ninth-grade cohort in a public school in a southeastern state. The research question for this study was the following: What will the examination of semester-long referral data from the entire ninth-grade cohort of a public school in a southeastern state reveal? The problem…

In January 2000, the Alternative and Safe Schools Instructional and Support Division (ASSIS) of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI) was charged with developing guidelines that determined how districts could establish and maintain effective Alternative Learning Programs (NC DPI, 2014). In 2003, ASSIS produced the first…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a behavioral based intervention program on minority student behavior. The Breakfast Club was an intervention created with the goal of improving the negative behavior of minority adolescent students. The participants in this study were minority, high school students who displayed frequent…

This study evaluated a special education program designed to educate emotionally vulnerable high school students. Public schools face a unique challenge to educate students with varying disabilities and individual struggles. When a student possesses academic skills but cannot demonstrate them in a traditional classroom setting due to social and…

Purpose: Early detection of language delays is essential, as language is key for academic outcomes, well-being, and societal participation. Previous studies have focused on undetected delays in young children. Much less is known about referrals at older ages. In this study, we aimed to (a) establish how many children are referred at toddler age…

The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore middle school and/or high school teachers' experience and decision-making processes regarding writing disciplinary referrals for African American students demonstrating disruptive behavior in the classroom. "How do teachers describe their experiences and decision-making processes in…

Purpose: Schoolwide college access programs are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in high schools across the country. Research on their effectiveness in improving college-going rates is inconclusive, prompting scholars to question how programs affect practices in schools. To better understand how schools and college access programs work in…

Creating safe and supportive environments where students engage in prosocial behaviors is a priority and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) are used to achieve these goals. This study investigated relationships between PBIS fidelity, school climate, and office discipline referrals (ODRs). Participants were 204,701 students in…

Racial inequality in exclusionary discipline is a salient educational equity issue. The implications of educators' discretion in administering discipline and the complexity of repeated office discipline referrals (ODRs) and suspensions are reflected in school discipline policy debates nationwide. This brief uses New York City to learn more about…

With the rising prevalence of mental health problems among children and adolescents, it is likely that teachers would encounter students with such problems in their classes. To have an in-depth understanding of their experiences, we conducted a qualitative study and explored the experiences of 15 elementary and high school teachers from the…

Disproportionate representation of historically underserved students in advanced placement programs, such as the IB program, is a persistent issue nationwide. Despite being called "the great equalizer," public education often perpetuates systemic inequities for marginalized students, including those living in poverty or belonging to…

This research study examined the impact of negative behavioral consequences on the academic achievement of 9th-grade students from three rural high schools in South Carolina before and after COVID-19 and by gender. The researcher used a comparative research design to examine achieved data of different genders, incidents at school, actions taken by…

Peer-mediated interventions are an evidence-based practice for enhancing the social and learning outcomes of students with autism and other developmental disabilities. However, little is known about the peers who participate in these interventions or the ways they are impacted through their involvement. In this pilot study, we examined changes in…