Previous research documents the positive impacts that teacher praise can have on students' behavior in the classroom; positive praise is a reinforcer that improves and maintains appropriate classroom behavior. Identifying current trends in natural rates of praise--praise that occurs in the absence of specific intervention or training--may help…

Many studies have demonstrated that when teachers are trained to increase their use of praise, student misbehavior improves; however, few studies have examined teachers' natural use of praise and no study has examined the relation between teachers' natural use of praise and classroom behavior. The purpose of the current study was to examine…

This study explored whether and to what extent consultation practices specifically focused on culturally responsive instruction provided additive benefit, after establishing strong classroom management. Three teachers leading culturally diverse classrooms participated in two phases of consultation. The first was a traditional, classroom-management…

The brief Student-Teacher Classroom Interaction Observation (ST-CIO) is a direct observation assessment that evaluates interactions between teachers and students. The measure was developed for use in classrooms during academic instruction to determine the frequency of teacher use of reprimands and praise toward a student, as well as the frequency…

Successful instruction is contingent upon effective classroom management. Unfortunately, not all teachers are effective classroom managers and many require in-service professional development (PD) to increase their use of evidence-based classroom management skills. Although PD models have been developed and evaluated, many are resource-intensive.…

In this study, we (a) describe patterns of challenging student behaviors (classwide and for a target student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]) and teacher behaviors (i.e., praise, commands, and responses to challenging behavior) in kindergarten through Grade 5 classrooms, (b) examine the relations between these behaviors, and…

Using contingent praise is a proactive strategy for increasing on-task behaviors in special education classrooms. Although there is large body of literature supporting the use of praise to decrease challenging behaviors and increase desirable behaviors, a consensus on how much praise is needed has yet to be reached. In an effort to identify…

School recess, though beneficial to students in many ways, can be a problematic setting due to inadequate supervision, structure, and safety. A peer praise note (PPN) intervention was implemented on the recess playground to address these concerns at a Title I elementary school. Researchers used a single-subject reversal design across all students…

The Caterpillar Game is a classroom management system that is aligned with School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports standards. A single-case, multiple-baseline design was used to evaluate the effects of the Caterpillar Game on disruptive student behavior and teacher praise. Three classrooms were included in the study (preschool,…

Classroom management is a common concern for teachers. Music teachers in particular experience unique behavior challenges because of large class sizes, uncommon pacing requirements, and performance-based outcomes. Positive behavior support (PBS) is an evidence-based framework for preventing or eliminating challenging behaviors by teaching and…

It is well established that teacher praise has a positive effect on student disruptive behavior. However, there is little research suggesting how often Kindergarten teachers praise students in the classroom. This study aimed to collect praise frequency data across four general education Kindergarten classrooms. The type of praise teachers used and…

This paper is about the impact of systematic reading selection used to promote English as foreign language learning in adult students. A qualitative action research methodology was used to carry out this project. Ten class sessions were designed to provide students an opportunity to select texts according to criteria based upon their language…

This mixed methods study examined behavior management strategies used by preschool teachers to address student noncompliance in the classroom. Specifically, the study aimed to (1) examine the methods that preschool teachers are currently using to respond to noncompliant behavior in their classrooms, (2) measure the frequency with which each…

The Positive Behavior Support Team at Madison Metropolitan School District (Wisconsin) provides consultation and wrap-around services for students who exhibit significant physical or sexual aggression. Several members of the team received training in the Three Pillars of TraumaWise Care curriculum from Reclaiming Youth International. This article…

Common approaches to inclusive education (e.g., co-teaching or team teaching) are based in part on an assumption that when more than one adult or professional are present in a classroom, rates of effective instructional practices and appropriate (i.e., positive) feedback can improve for students who need them most. In this preliminary study, the…