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…

This document describes a practicum on the improvement of teacher ability to cope effectively with disruptive behavior and ultimately to reduce incidence of such behavior. Plans for accomplishing these objectives involved: (1) familiarizing participants with current concepts, techniques, and strategies for dealing with disruptive behavior and (2)…

Fifteen fifth grade students designated disruptive by their classroom teachers in the State College Area School District of Pennsylvania were divided into three groups and exposed to three weeks of differing lead-up activities followed by a week of residential outdoor education activities at Pennsylvania's Stone Valley Outdoor School. Employing…

The purpose of this action research project report was to decrease off-task behavior through a dot/point reward system and portfolio reflections. Students involved in this research were in second, fifth, and sixth grade. There were a total of 85 student participants and 35 teacher participants. The dates of this research began on September 4, 2007…

This Master's project was designed to implement and evaluate classroom intervention and training in conflict resolution for elementary school students. Subjects were first and third graders from a rural community in north central Illinois. To document the extent of existing student conflict, a teacher survey and journal, playground behavior…

This document describes an art mentorship program that was developed and implemented by an experienced art teacher as behavioral intervention for deviant fifth grade students. A target group of nine fifth grade public elementary school students was established for this practicum. Each targeted student mentor was paired with a primary special…

An action research project developed a program for implementing character education to improve behavior, particularly as related to respect and responsibility and to reduce inappropriate behavioral choices. Targeted population consisted of junior high and high school students at three sites in a community located in a Midwestern suburban…

This practicum paper describes a method for developing and implementing a student-discipline plan in a small, rural high school in north central Florida. The combined middle- and high-school is the poorest in the county. When corporal punishment was banned in the county and no alternatives were implemented, the number of suspensions increased. An…

The purpose of this action research project is to improve student social skills through the use of cooperative learning, in order to develop a positive classroom environment that is conducive to learning. The action research project will involve approximately 95 students, 95 parents, and 200 teachers. It is the intent of the teacher researchers to…

This report describes a program that was designed to identify and modify disruptive student behavior and improve academic performance. The targeted fifth grade class had been noted for inappropriate behavior and sporadic academic success, with problems documented by teacher observation surveys and self-reporting by students. Probable causes…

This action research project involved implementation of a program designed to minimize inappropriate student behavior that interfered with instruction. The target populations were students in three third grades in an elementary school, one third grade in an intermediate school, and one eighth grade social studies class in a middle school. All…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for improving social development of elementary school students in order to lessen disruptive behavior in physical education class. The targeted population consisted of elementary school children in second, fourth, and fifth grades in a growing rural, middle class community. Anecdotal…

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…

A program was implemented for increasing writing and problem solving skills to increase educational achievement. The targeted populations consisted of sixth and seventh grade students from two growing middle class suburban communities located in the Midwest. The problems of inadequate writing and problem solving skills were documented through data…