The South Carolina laws that mandate regular school attendance place the responsibility on parents to ensure compliance. South Carolina still uses punitive measures to address chronic absenteeism, meaning schools can refer students to law enforcement to face criminal truancy charges and jail time. Their parent(s) can also face criminal…

The purpose of this study was to examine how to restore a child's social-emotional well being. As an administrator in a middle school, I have the opportunity to see the natural state that our children are in on a daily basis. I have observed over time, more specifically since COVID-19, that children are struggling to balance their emotions, their…

Students with reading difficulties frequently struggle succeeding in middle school courses due to poor early reading and language skills. Research suggests that students with reading difficulties and comorbid behavioral concerns may have difficulties making appropriate gains when exposed to academic instruction. This study examined the extent to…

The problem addressed in this study is the disproportionality in office discipline referrals (ODRs) for Black students at a Northeast Florida Middle School despite the implementation of School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS). The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand middle school teachers'…

This study takes a look at the many effects having an incarcerated household member has on students during the school day. In order to gain a better understanding of these effects, twelve middle school teachers were interviewed about their experiences with these students. According to the teachers interviewed the study found the following.…

As school systems across the United States seek to address school behavior and examine ways to decrease suspension rates, school administrators face challenges that revolve around maintaining a safe learning environment that fosters a positive school climate while facilitating a balanced approach to discipline and relationship building with…

Middle school students lack coping skills which cause misbehaviors and disruptions to their education. The misbehaviors are higher among middle school students with disabilities and middle school special education teachers are struggling to implement effective strategies to address the disruptive behaviors of their students in a suburban…

Purpose: The purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the primary reasons that students are assigned exclusionary discipline consequences. Another purpose involves ascertaining the degree to which differential consequences are present by student ethnicity/race in the discipline consequence assigned for the same misbehavior.…

Trauma-informed practices are gaining momentum in educational settings. This growth is in part due to the knowledge we are learning about childhood trauma and how it impacts children well into adulthood. The more we know about the impact of childhood trauma, the more crucial it is for schools to utilize trauma-informed practices. The purpose of…

Purpose: The overall purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the influence of social emotional learning on public schools. The first specific purpose was to describe the school characteristics associated with the presence of social emotional learning for the 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 school years. A second purpose was to…

School districts across the nation experience student behavior problems resulting in office discipline referrals, suspensions, and time spent away from instruction. This study examined the implementation (with fidelity based on the Tiered Fidelity Instrument) of positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) at the Tier 1 level and the…

Adolescence can be a very challenging time for students. Students are not all equipped with the social-emotional skills to successfully navigate middle school into young adulthood. Students display adverse behaviors, such as peer physical aggression, peer verbal aggression, and defiance to adults. Students are not demonstrating problem-solving…

Peer affiliation is an important factor in the behavioral trajectories of adolescents, and the effect of peer dynamics on problem behavior is especially salient in the school setting. In this paper, the author presents a cross-sectional evaluation of the link between deviant peer affiliation and school-based problem behavior for middle school…

This study examined secondary band directors' practices and attitudes about accommodating students with cognitive or behavioral exceptionalities in middle and high school band programs. The research questions were: 1. What are band directors' practices for including students with cognitive or behavioral exceptionalities in a middle or high school…

Students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) often display externalizing behaviors (e.g., aggression and defiance) and experience internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression). When left untreated, these difficulties can result in negative outcomes for students in school and beyond. Cognitive-behavioral interventions (CBIs) offer…