The meaning, measurement, and implications of "public opinion" have long been a source of debate. In this paper, we examine the extent to which the educational priorities of elites in the US reflect the educational priorities of the American public. To do so, we focus on one particular segment of the education policy-making elite --…

Research has widely documented the over-representation of office disciplinary referrals (ODRs) among specific student groups (e.g., African American, boys). Despite extant research documenting individual-level predictors of ODRs, few studies have accounted for the nested structure of the settings in which these events occur. Guided by critical…

The Authoritative School Climate Survey was designed to provide schools with a brief assessment of 2 key characteristics of school climate--disciplinary structure and student support--that are hypothesized to influence 2 important school climate outcomes--student engagement and prevalence of teasing and bullying in school. The factor structure of…

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…

School suspension is the most widely used disciplinary practice in U.S. schools. It is a programmatic regularity, as Seymour would say. He would also say "programmatic regularities have implicit or explicit outcomes." Like Seymour, the author is concerned about what he describes as the "frequent discrepancy between regularities and…

Our nation's schools should be safe havens for teaching and learning, free of crime and violence. Any instance of crime or violence at school not only affects the individuals involved, but also may disrupt the educational process and affect bystanders, the school itself, and the surrounding community (Brookmeyer, Fanti, and Henrich 2006;…

Teachers are entering the classroom with varying levels of training as various certification routes and programs responsible for training prospective teachers in the areas of curriculum, assessment, theory, pedagogy, and classroom management differ in their requirements or lack thereof. This study attempted to determine if there is a relationship…

We sought to investigate the nature, causes and effects of school violence in four South African high schools. A purposive sample of five principals, 80 learners and 20 educators was selected from the four schools used in the study. A sequential mixed method approach was used in this study; both questionnaires and interviews were used. The design…

The high teacher attrition and early-career exodus of beginning teachers suggest that traditional methods fall short of providing the support needed by beginning teachers. This qualitative study examined the challenges encountered by student teachers during their practicum experience. Findings suggest that the attrition rate may be at least…

There is a need to address behavior discipline problems in special and general education setting classrooms. Disruptive behaviors are a major concern as they create excessive stress and demands for classroom teachers and school administrators to address them. Effective interventions are needed to properly address them. Moreover, classroom…

Documentation of classroom disruptions caused by student behavior has steadily increased over the past 70 years. Researchers have theorized that professional development training for teachers slows the disruptions caused by student behavior, allowing all students to learn; however, there is a paucity of research on whether teachers implement the…

This mixed methods study design explored the contributing factors to chronic tardiness, tardy behavior, and the impact on the secondary student. School tardiness is a growing problem and has been on a steady upward trend, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education. Tardiness and tardy behavior are consistently influencing the educational…

In no other area of education is the gulf between teachers and administrators wider than in the area of student discipline. When new teachers cite lack of administrative support as their reason for leaving the profession, what they usually mean is lack of administrative support in handling student misbehavior. When administrators complain to one…

The purpose of this study was to: examine differences in students' perceptions of their noncognitive skills and school environments by race/ethnicity, and explore whether students' perceptions of their noncognitive skills and school environments were related to three outcomes that have been identified in the research as mattering most for a…

A historical perspective may provide important insights for understanding contemporary discussions and the expectations attached to women and men in today's teaching. The role of gendered meanings in relation to teachers' work is explored in this article by focusing on discussions on school discipline during the period 1960-1970. Teachers'…