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.…

Middle schoolers are developing skills for learning. Part of those skills is learning how to be an active participant in class and take control over their classroom behavior. Students who are not actively listening or participating are not internally motivated to learn the material. It was my hope that by reflecting upon their participation each…

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 describes district-level results from the Austin Independent School District (AISD) 2008-2009 Student Climate Survey. [Abstract modified to meet ERIC guidelines.]

Texas state assessment (TAKS) data in reading/English language arts and mathematics from 2006 and 2007 for AISD students enrolled in Fall 2007 were examined to find out how many students failed both tests, passed both tests, or failed one but not the other, for two consecutive years.

This report summarizes results of a data analysis that attempts to answer the question of whether AISD students' physical fitness is related to their academic achievement in Spring 2006.

This report summarizes Austin Independent School District's 2008-2009 school year student success initiative efforts to support students who are academically at risk in reading and math.

It is known that English language coursebooks written by Turkish writers is widely used in Turkey although much research is needed to assess their quality as educational materials. In this research study, opinions of 7th grade students' and teachers' on "Let's Speak English 7" were studied through teacher and student questionnaires…

The purpose of this action research project was to improve student vocabulary acquisition through a multisensory, direct instructional approach. The study involved three teachers and a target population of 73 students in second and seventh grade classrooms. The intervention was implemented from September through December of 2006 and analyzed in…

Without proficiency in content reading skills, seventh grade students were at risk of not being able to achieve understanding of what they read in non-fiction texts, a skill that is absolutely necessary for college-bound students. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate whether an approach that involved specific and focused…

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…

The aim of this study is to develop a new curriculum, which meets the standards of today's computer literacy and enables the students to apply the MS Excel program in their daily lives as a tool, for the spreadsheet courses in computer lessons in the 6th, 7th, 8th grades of the current curriculum of the Turkish Ministry of National Education,…

The use of drama to teach social skills to public middle school students labeled at-risk is powerfully effective. Drama is a universal form of human expression found in cultures all over the world and throughout history. For students at-risk of poor educational outcomes, drama is effective for teaching social, emotional, and physical development.…

This study is an exploration of the cyberbullying issue. The primary focus is on the examination of the nature and extent of adolescents' cyberbullying experiences. Particularly, the following research questions guide this exploration: (1) To what extent do adolescents experience cyberbullying? (2) What are the characteristics of cyberbullying?…

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate a Reading Recovery program at an alternative school in Florida. The Reading Recovery program was used as an intervention for improving students' reading skills and performances on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) that is given each year to students in Grades 7 and 8. The…