Date of Award
2002
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
EdD Program for Educational Leaders
Keywords
academic success, adult role models, anger management, behavior improvement, behavioral problems, Campostella Elementary, counseling activities, discipline reports, discipline referrals, discipline-challenged students, elementary schools, female students, fifth-grade students, goal setting, guest speakers, intervention programs, male students, Norfolk Public Schools, parent involvement, participation, PALS Club, personal goals, problem solving skills, program evaluation, readjustment of goals, school behavior, self-esteem, special programs, statistical significance, student discipline, student support, teacher involvement, team activities
Abstract
Positive Attitudes Lead to Success: An Intervention Program for Elementary Discipline-Challenged Male Students
This dissertation describes the Positive Attitudes Lead to Success Club (PALS), a program designed to help 20 5th-grade male students in an elementary school of 760 students improve their behavior and achieve academic success. An analysis of the Discipline Report data for the last 3 years reveals that Campostella Elementary (CES) has had an unacceptable amount of referrals by the standards set forth by Norfolk Public Schools (NPS) for unacceptable behavior. These 20 students have received 80% of all referrals for the past school year. Such information reveals a need to address this problem and seek a solution.
Strategies of the PALS Club used to help students meet their personal goals, such as improving their behavior, include (a) guest speakers, (b) counseling activities, (c)team activities, (d) participation in special programs, and (e) assistance in readjusting their goals when necessary. Other persons used to help students include parents, teachers, and sponsors. The school participated in the program during the first semester, 18 weeks, of the 2001-2002 school year.
The intervention helped the students to increase their self esteem and their problem solving and anger management skills, and it exposed them to strong adult role models. The results are statistically significant. There was a reduction from 23 referrals during the 2nd semester of 2000-2001 school year to 10 referrals during the 1st semester of the 2001-2002 school year. Due to the success of the program, it has been duplicated for a group of 5th-grade females with similar behavioral problems and personal needs.