School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is a systems approach to supporting the social and emotional needs of all children utilized by more than 21,000 schools across the nation. Data from numerous studies and state projects' evaluation reports point to the impact of SWPBIS on student outcomes (office discipline referrals…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand why 12 teachers write office discipline referrals for elementary school students in a Title I elementary school located in the Southwestern United States. This study explored the experiences of 12 teachers using the following research questions: (1) What classroom management approaches…

Behaviors that warrant school discipline (e.g., fighting, victimizing peers) is detrimental to school climate and the learning process. This study examines the effectiveness of preventing school disciplinary incidents in middle school through an experiential, social and emotional learning (SEL) program. A community youth development organization,…

Research shows that school-wide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) can be an effective alternative to traditional reactive, punitive approaches to problem behavior. However, few studies examine the use of the approach as part of a comprehensive school improvement process involving academic as well as behavioral goals, particularly with regard to…

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…

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that may influence school administrators' disciplinary decisions involving students with disabilities. Confirmatory factor analysis suggests that the investigator-developed measures adequately represent the hypothesized latent factors per the pattern of observed responses. The hypothesized…

Classroom disruptions present an obstacle to raising student achievement for teachers and school administrators. This study was designed to investigate potential relationships between weather, specifically barometric pressure, or the lunar cycle, and whether either had a direct correlation with student discipline referrals. The intent was to…

The purpose of this research study was to increase the understanding of the state of discipline of a suburban high school by interrogating the factors that affect the perception held by the school's various stakeholders. The stakeholders in this study consisted of those individuals who have the responsibility for the formation of the school's…

Past research studies suggested that many students could benefit from well-structured classroom management strategies to help in the reduction of discipline problems that some may have. The research, however, was inconclusive as to which classroom management strategies are the most effective in managing behaviors within the classroom setting. The…

This dissertation is comprised of three manuscripts and presents a line of research aimed at improving the measurement of bullying in schools. The first manuscript investigated the impact of an educational video on self-reports of bullying. A sample of 1,283 middle school students in randomly assigned classrooms either watched or did not watch an…

The schools in Union County have undergone a tremendous amount of growth in the past decade. The growth in the county has led to an increase in discipline problems. In order to provide suspended students a second chance, Union County Public Schools implemented an alternative to suspension program, the Union County Alternative to Suspension Program…

Cooperative behavior is important for well-functioning high school classrooms in which students trust their teachers and actively engage in academic tasks. Yet, discipline referrals for disruption and defiance are all too common and can result in lost instructional time and increased teacher stress. As such, more needs to be understood about…

Two reasons that principals have not been effective as instructional leaders are outlined from a survey of Ohio school principals. Time spent on student discipline problems and resistance from faculty to new ideas on instructional improvement were the major problems listed by the principals in the survey. (MD)

This study examined the extent to which the size of school enrollment affects teacher control over discipline. The study was limited to high schools in Texas. Fifty high schools were randomly selected from each of five size classifications. A random sample of 750 Texas public high school teachers were selected for the study (150 from each…

Weldon, Menacker, and Hurwitz studied teacher-student relationships and student behavior in four Chicago inner-city elementary schools. Findings indicated that, although students and teachers reported mutual respect, each school had severe discipline problems. The authors present several possible explanations. Commentary on the study by Guinagh…