Misbehavior in the classroom and school can have an opposing effect on the teaching and learning process. According to Anderson-Saunders (2016), an effective disciplinary system cohesively ensures practices of preventive disciplinary measures by first providing students a secure and encouraging atmosphere in which they have the chance to flourish…

This cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the impact of a behavior support program implemented in elementary school on students' high school behaviors. The research question driving the study was whether high school students who had received instruction in the Students Taking Appropriate Responsibility (STAR) program for four years…

This article defines research centers as associative enterprises for solving scholarly and societal problems that cannot be adequately addressed by individuals. The authors identify more than fifty research centers in rhetoric and writing, past and present, and argue that they function as change agents by emphasizing collaboration and conducting…

The purpose of this mixed-methods explanatory case study was to determine the impact of a reduced school calendar on student achievement for students in grades 9 through 12 in two rural school districts in Virginia and to explore meanings associated with this change. The study focused on two research questions: how does student performance during…

Threat assessment has been widely recommended as a violence prevention approach for schools, but there are few empirical studies of its use. This nonexperimental study of 280 Virginia public high schools compared 95 high schools using the Virginia threat assessment guidelines (Cornell & Sheras, 2006), 131 following other (i.e., locally…

This study investigated differences in aggressive attitudes, academic achievement and discipline referrals between bullies and non-bullies in a sample of 261 6th and 7th grade students over a two-year period. Through the use of a peer nomination survey, 16 students were identified as bullies both years (persistent) and 21 were identified only in…

Describes a principal's frustrating, but ultimately successful 3-year effort to convert a Virginia elementary school to a year-round schedule. Now in its third year, the school boasts students with higher standardized test scores, better attendance, and fewer discipline referrals than their traditional-calendar counterparts. (MLH)

Virginia's statewide plan of educator preparation in functional behavioral assessment, as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is described. The step-by-step training process facilitated positive academic and nonacademic outcomes for all students. Preliminary data support the effectiveness of both the content and…