Classroom management is a common challenge in middle schools. Class-wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a multi-tiered intervention designed to decrease problem behaviors at the classroom level (Wills et al., 2010). It is comprised of evidence-based practices such as teaching classroom expectations, increasing teacher praise, and…

Throughout this action research project report, the teacher-researchers explored the problem of test anxiety among students. The purpose of this project was to alleviate test anxiety among students with various interventions in grades five through seven in the subject areas of social studies, science, and language arts. There were 66 student…

The purpose of this research project was to increase constructive behavior of intermediate grade students through the use of the response cost strategy. Approximately 70 students participated in this study. Three teacher researchers conducted the research in an elementary school and two middle schools in different counties near a major mid-western…

The purpose of this study was to increase motivation in 7th grade students. Four teacher researchers examined the change in motivational levels as a result of choice strategies. They gathered data from four different classes, 101 students in all, to track levels of motivation. They monitored their levels of observable behavioral patterns with a…

The purpose of this action research project was to increase homework completion through the use of motivating strategies. There were approximately 75 students, 100 parents, and three teacher researchers involved in this study. The three intervention strategies used were 15 minutes of class time, extrinsic rewards, and assignment notebook checks.…

This report described how implementation of differentiated assignments provided documentation of how students' motivation increased. The volunteers that participated in this study were 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Students struggle academically to meet the expectations of their instructors. These struggles impact how students learn academically,…

This report examines the stepfamily phenomenon and how stepfamilies are treated. After the introductory first chapter the second chapter provides a clear definition of what constitutes a "stepfamily" and explores some of the demographics regarding stepfamilies. Next the report examines the major issues with which stepfamilies deal. How these…

This report describes an intervention program for increasing mathematical achievement of African American students. Within the targeted population, it was evident that the disparity in math achievement between African American and White students was increasing each year. The targeted population consisted of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade…

The report describes a program to improve students social skills and level of responsibility. The targeted eighth and ninth grade students are located in two communities in northwestern Illinois. The problem of students exhibiting a lack of social skills and responsibility had been documented by student discipline referrals, anecdotal records,…

This action research project sought to improve student motivation in order to increase academic performance among eighth graders in an urban community. Evidence of academic underachievement and lack of student participation was documented by means of teacher observations, incomplete and missing assignments, and student questionnaires. Student,…

The purpose of this action research project report was to increase the homework completion rate of middle school students through the use of interventions. The participants in this study came from one public middle school. The participants were thirty-four 6th grade students in language arts, respectively. The intervention took place from…

This study described a program for reducing students' anxiety during testing. The targeted population consisted of seventh, eighth, and ninth grade students in public schools (three middle schools and a high school) located in a medium sized urban area in the Midwest. Evidence for the existence of the problem was based on student written responses…

This project evaluated the effectiveness of school safety interventions to improve student interpersonal relationships and academic achievement. The targeted population consisted of middle school students in a growing, middle class community located in central southeastern Iowa. The issues of school safety were documented by means of student and…

This action research project describes a program for decreasing disruptive behaviors in the classroom and encouraging children to be more respectful of others. The targeted population was sixth- through eighth-grade students in a Midwestern suburb. The problems of disruptive behaviors and lack of respect were documented using teacher and student…

This action research project report examined all forms of bullying behaviors and ways to reduce those behaviors. The project included 63 students from both a high school health class and a 6th and 7th grade middle school homeroom. The research was conducted from September 17, 2007 through December 14, 2007. In the specified locations, female to…