This dissertation explores the lived experiences of Appalachian elementary and middle school teachers who have been identified as working in Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) schools. This study used Lifeworld Theory to engage in discussion about the teachers' individual experiences in using PBIS in their classrooms in relation to…

This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of educators who have had two or more direct interactions with therapy dogs in the classroom setting. Specifically, this study seeks to explore the attitudes and beliefs of teachers as it relates to the use of therapy dogs to de-escalate students exhibiting undesirable behaviors. Additionally,…

Teachers have many responsibilities in the classroom. Among those responsibilities is classroom management. The purpose of this study was to explore if school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SW-PBIS) have an effect on student achievement. Research has shown SW-PBIS allow teachers to reduce behavior incidents in the classroom.…

Teachers are reporting poor mental health at twice the rate of other workers, presenting with a high number of stress related health problems, and losing sleep (American Federation of Teachers, 2017; Buonomo, Fatigante and Fiorilli, 2017; Sutcher, Darling-Hammond and Carver-Thomas, 2016). Additionally, many are leaving the classroom soon after…

The possibility of using a delayed consequence has great potential for parents, educators, and behavior analysts who are looking for effective methods to reduce problem behavior. In some situations, it may be difficult or even impossible for caregivers to administer timeout immediately following an instance of problem behavior due to practical…

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the Zones of Regulation program, as a tier II intervention for elementary age students who were identified by their teachers as struggling with self-regulation. Minimal research has been dedicated to the Zones of Regulation program. Nonetheless, educators are using the program regularly…

By 2024, students of color (i.e., youth who are Black, Latino, Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, and multiracial) are projected to represent 56% of the student enrollment in U.S. public schools (Kena et al., 2015). The diversity of our current and future student population merits differentiated strategies to best support…

The purpose of this study was to determine an effective training method of improving direct support professionals' (DSPs) ability to accurately and descriptively report antecedent, behavior, and function. A training method, multiple exemplar training (MET), which is not typically applied to this population, was utilized to determine its…

Hispanic freshman college students struggle with the transition from high school to college due to multiple stressors. These stressors include financial issues, feeling academically underprepared, balancing their family life and school life, well-being, and experiencing discrimination (Civitci, 2015a; Civitci, 2015b; Morgan Consoli et al., 2018;…

Current research shows the effects of music are varied. Research also suggests that music therapy for students with disabilities is varied. This study investigated the effects of the music therapy technique of listening that was applied to classrooms for students who display severe behavior. This music therapy intervention was administered by the…

This study evaluated the implementation of the school-based Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) model within multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) for elementary school students engaging in high levels of problem behavior. Three students and their classroom teachers in two public schools participated in the team-based PTR process during which they…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopment disorder that affects children in the first years of development. ASD is portrayed by unusual behaviors and impairments in social and relational abilities. Timely interventions are critical to supporting autistic children to attain essential social skills and improve the competencies…

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for youth experiencing anxiety. While various group-based CBT programs have demonstrated effectiveness for anxious youth, few have integrated SMART technology into service delivery to increase engagement and active learning. The On Second Though (OST) program is a social-emotional…

The team identified a problem of practice in education concerning student discipline. The problem was school leaders are following the local Board of Education adopted discipline policy which does not align with currently recommended discipline methods or research-based best practices. To determine if school leaders are incorporating new…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) often exhibit disruptive behaviors in classroom, including out-of-seat behaviors, which have been found to negatively affect their overall academic achievement and social interactions and relationships with parents, typically developing peers and teachers, and increase the likelihood of being…