The U.S. Department of Education released a data set in 2011-2012 regarding discipline in schools in the U.S. The data revealed Black girls were the fastest growing population of students experiencing suspension and expulsion. Compared to their White peers, Black girls were suspended at a rate of six times more. The theoretical framework for this…

Student behavior management is a critical component of efficacious teaching and a leading contributor to teachers' stress. Prior research has shown that teachers experiencing greater levels of workplace stress may utilize more punitive and exclusionary disciplinary techniques. However, these strategies often do not effectively manage student…

Child maltreatment is a widespread issue across the United States, directly impacting young children's learning and behavior. Yet, variability found in early education pre-service training does not include focus on this topic. Early education teachers often experience low wages, long work hours, and a lack of support to meet the needs of young…

School climate is a widely researched concept because of the influence that school climate can have on student outcomes such as academic achievement, attendance and discipline (Thapa et al, 2013; Wang & Degol, 2016;), as well as staff member outcomes such as job satisfaction and teacher retention (Cohen et al, 2009; Thapa et al, 2013). A…

According to the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS; 2022) three notable discipline problems reported by public schools including acts of disrespect toward teachers, verbal abuse towards teachers, and widespread disorder in classrooms has been consistently increasing over the last decade (U.S. Department of Education, 2022). Noncontingent…

Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) are master's level practitioners who typically provide assessments, write programs, monitor, and oversee implementation of behavior plans, and monitor a learner's progress over time to address skill acquisition and reduce challenging behaviors. BCBAs typically work in ABA clinics, in a learner's home, in…

Restorative practices and trauma-informed practices are being implemented in schools to improve the learning environment and reduce discipline referrals. This study aimed to determine how educators' level of understanding regarding restorative practices and trauma could affect how they interact with students that have experienced trauma. This…

Early childhood educators have struggled to teach children with challenging behaviors, which can lead to suspension and expulsion. Although early childhood educators have limited professional development training in challenging behaviors, they are often not equipped to teach children with challenging behaviors. There is little research on how…

Although function-based treatments have been proven to decrease challenging behavior, it is unclear whether these results translate to socially significant outcomes. In fact, researchers rarely analyze what happens outside the highly controlled setting in which behavior analytic sessions typically occur. In our first study, we used a changing…

The focus of this doctoral project was to investigate the implementation of a new behavioral management system, Positive Behaviors Intervention and Support (PBIS), by the teaching staff in grades K-6 at a specific school. The aim of PBIS is to create a consistent set of behavior expectations across the entire campus, rather than just within…

This qualitative case study examined novice middle level teacher classroom management self-efficacy perceptions and the influence these perceptions had on the approach to instruction and classroom environment. The social cognitive theory and zone of proximal development theory described the experiences and perceptions of novice middle level…

Classroom management is a key component of a successful learning environment. To support first-year teachers, mentors, administrators, and other educators need to understand how first-year teachers perceive their self-efficacy in classroom management. This study explored how first-year teachers perceived their self-efficacy with classroom…

Since the early 1990s, American schools adopted exclusionary sanctions such as zero-tolerance policies (ZTP) to reduce student misbehavior as well as to sustain school safety. Due to the punitive nature of ZTP, some schools have sought alternative discipline models, like the restorative practices, to manage student infraction. This mixed methods…

Teachers of students at the Skipping School are tasked with teaching their students to read while managing a host of complex emotions and behaviors that negatively impact the quantity and quality of their instruction. The purpose of this Action Research study was to examine and lessen existing barriers to effective reading instruction for teachers…

Teachers continually seek to find new and innovative ways to create classroom environments conducive to learning to discourage problem behaviors in students. Alternative seating, such as therapy balls and seat cushions, has been widely researched and found to have a positive relationship in decreasing student problem behavior and increasing…