Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
J. Michael Griffin
Committee Member
Anne Joslin
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
abstracts, age-appropriate incentives, applied dissertation, behavior modification, classroom discipline, classroom management, college library periodicals, constructive discipline strategies, curriculum guides, discipline referrals, Educational Resources Information Center, educational research, incentives, Internet, middle school, middle school journals, office referrals, out-of-school suspension, parent involvement, periodicals, positive discipline, school media center, student behavior, student incentives, student participation, suspension reduction, suspensions, teacher strategies, universities, up-to-date research articles
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to reduce discipline referrals and suspensions in a middle school of 450 students. Universities provided the majority of the current material in terms of books, periodicals, relevant abstracts, and up-to-date research articles. The Internet was a useful tool as well as Educational Resources Information Center searches to locate information that provided both the pros and cons of using incentives to modify behavior. The school media center had very limited resources. Teachers at the school were given strategies to be used in the classroom to help them manage the classroom better, provide incentives in a timely manner, and reduce the number of office referrals.
This writer developed an incentive program to reduce discipline referrals and suspension by providing incentives each 6 weeks to students who did not have an in- or out-of-school suspension. Teachers were asked to do the following: (a) take a positive approach to discipline in the classroom, (b) allow students to participate in the planning of incentives and construction of rules, and (c) involve parents in the education of their children by inviting them to visit the school and participate.
In reviewing the outcome of this dissertation, involving parents early in the education of their children was pivotal from start to finish. Using constructive discipline strategies in the classroom also helped teachers to manage their classrooms better. The most crucial aspect of this applied dissertation was the offering of age-appropriate incentives that reduced the number of discipline referrals and suspensions.