Date of Award
1-1-1991
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Center for the Advancement of Education
Advisor
James A. Poteet
Keywords
Change Strategies, Cooperation, Discipline Problems, Elementary Secondary Education, Intervention, Student Behavior, Theory Practice Relationship, Urban Schools.
Abstract
The objective of this practicum was to decrease the number of at-risk students that were being transferred to alternative sites for disruptive behavior. The strategies that were implemented for this project were twofold. The first began with conducting a school within a school. This involved having the program participants stay in one class all day while the teachers of each subject area come into the classroom to teach their particular subject area. The second phase of the program included 15 mentors that were former students of the school that were attending the local community college. Each mentor was assigned a student, scheduling themselves to meet at least five hours a week with the student. In addition to the small classroom instruction and mentoring relationships, the writer provided weekly individual group counseling. A significant amount of attention was provided to the students between the teachers, mentors and writer. The writer made accommodations for parents by scheduling evening office hours. Additionally the writer made frequent phone contact with the parent to inform parents of their child’s progress during weekly counseling sessions. The writer realized a significant decrease in the number of students transferred to alternative placement. The objectives of the program focused on addressing the needs of the at-risk student as opposed to focusing on the punitive aspects of the behavior. Students improved behavior and academic performance in the classroom. Only a small percentage of the students were transferred who participated in the program. The mentoring component of the program appeared to be directly responsible for a considerable degree of the success in the program.