District administrators at a Midwestern K-6 school were concerned that despite a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework required by the state department of education, school leaders had continued to experience high rates of discipline referrals. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the conceptual…

We assessed whether an adaptation of value-added analysis (VAA) can provide evidence on the relative effectiveness of interventions implemented in a large school district. We analyzed two datasets, one documenting interventions received by underperforming students, and one documenting interventions received by students in schools benefiting from…

Tact is the most important verbal operant (Skinner, 1957) due to the uniqueness of stimulus control and its role in facilitating acquisition of another verbal (e.g., mands, intraverbals) and nonverbal (i.e., listener) operants (Sundberg, 2015). Teaching tacts to children with ASD and the research on this area, however, are largely focused on…

This study focused on the effect of fifteen minutes of direct phonics instruction three days per week on student achievement, of Winter MAP goals, during the Response to Intervention block, during English language arts class. The literature suggests the use of both systematic and word-based strategies for instructional strategies, more scientific…

The purpose of this Dissertation in Practice was to examine the perceptions and attitudes of faculty members at Florida State University - Panama City and then to further explore, through interviews, why the faculty hold a positive, neutral, or negative view of intrusive advising. The goal of this project was to understand the barriers for faculty…

The present study used a latent growth curve modeling approach to (1) examine the effectiveness of a brief self-compassion intervention on reducing impostor phenomenon and its related psychological distress and (2) explore who would benefit most from this intervention. A total of 227 college students at a large Midwest university were randomly…

Student diversity in public education facilities and socioeconomic situations has led to students in elementary schools entering kindergarten less prepared than in previous generations. This has resulted in educators searching for new strategies to motivate students and increase academic achievement. The problem addressed in this study is that…

The present study examined the professional experiences of school psychologists who self-identify as having a social justice orientation in their practice, using semi-structured, one-on-one interviews. Themes related to varying levels of service delivery (individual and systemic), occupational barriers, such as lack of time, resources, and…

Summer bridge programs are the second most common student support program in the United States. Though they vary in design, most are focused on supporting students who are at risk. Programs vary in terms of their curricular offerings as well. This study examined the ex post facto data from a summer bridge program at Manchester Community College in…

It is common for graduate programs to be plagued by delays in on-time student completion or to experience student attrition. Students have experienced such delays in a local program at the University where I am employed as a lecturer. Therefore, this dissertation was undertaken with the aim of supporting university students at the graduate level…

Many middle school students with disabilities struggle to read fluently and express comprehension of entire passages. This is because they comprise a population of students who continue to struggle to quickly and accurately read single words in isolation, also known as word recognition automaticity. These students often have struggled for several…

This study presents the findings of a systematic review of empirical research on the use of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and extended reality (XR) to present social skill instruction to school-age students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Forty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. Studies targeted…

The complex handwriting skill, necessary for effective expression that has spatial, temporal, and kinaesthetic aspects ("three-aspects" henceforth), needs planning alongwith fine motor skill. Unlike neurotypicals, individuals with Autism possess cognitive and motor deficits adversely affecting handwriting, addressable through…

Background: Many youth are not meaningfully engaged in their school-based transition process. Understanding youth's perceptions of their engagement and factors influencing engagement is important to increase engagement. Design: A search of six databases produced 975 studies; 11 which were included. Inclusion criteria: Qualitative research on…

While abduction remains a rare occurrence in the United States, many parents and caregivers have concerns about children's reactions to strangers and other safety-related behaviors. Abduction is a risk for all children, but may be of specific concern for people with disabilities due to social skill and communication deficits. Behavior analytic…