Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
William R. Thayer
Committee Member
James Davis
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
accountability, action plans, Alternative I Programs, Alternative II Programs, behavior modification, classroom management, collaborative planning, conflict resolution, early intervention, Eastern Middle School, education, exclusion, Grades 6-8, Maryland, parent involvement, referrals, safety, school-based programs, Silver Spring, student behavior, student responsibility, student surveys, suspension, teacher involvement, teacher surveys
Abstract
This applied dissertation is a descriptive study of a program designed to improve student behavior in Grades 6 through 8, an Alternative I School-Based Program, at Eastern Middle School in Silver Spring, Maryland. This intervention program model was a response to teachers’ request for assistance in decreasing suspensions, exclusions, removal of students from classes, and the placement of students in Alternative II Programs.
Solution strategies included an examination of (a) referrals for inappropriate student behavior, (b) parent and teacher involvement, and (c) recommendations for early intervention strategies. To accomplish these tasks, surveys and interviews were conducted to assess the needs of the students, teachers, and parents.
This applied dissertation emphasizes and encourages the importance of accountability among students. It serves as a blueprint for collaborative action plans to provide for the safety and education of all children.