Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education
Advisor
Harry L. Bowman
Committee Member
Karen D. Bowser
Committee Member
Ronald P. Kern
Keywords
behavior modification, behavior problems, case management, chi-square analysis, classroom behavior, cohort control design, discipline referrals, fighting behavior, instructional time, intervention, middle schools, nonexperimental research, office discipline referrals, positive behavior support, positive reinforcement, quantitative research, school climate, school discipline, school-wide positive behavior support, social behavior, student behavior, student code of conduct, student engagement, student infractions, student outcomes, student support systems, southwest Florida, SWPBS, tardiness, behavioral interventions, behavioral outcomes, classroom management, disciplinary actions, educational interventions, minor infractions, major infractions, modeling expectations, posttest-only design, school behavior programs, school improvement, school safety, student conduct, student discipline data, student expectations, student management, supportive learning environments, behavior support systems, behavioral referrals, cohort studies, conduct improvement, educational research, intervention effectiveness, middle school students, office referrals, problem behavior reduction, program evaluation, school-wide interventions, social skills development, student accountability, student success, positive school culture, disciplinary trends, behavior change, classroom interventions, educational outcomes, school administration, student behavioral outcomes, school-based programs, student empowerment, behavioral expectations, respectful behavior, insubordination, descriptive research, conduct policies, student responsibility, learning environment, prevention strategies, behavioral support, school effectiveness, intervention outcomes, student misconduct, discipline management, behavior assessment, positive behavior interventions, referral reduction, student behavioral support, school conduct, educational leadership, behavior tracking, school environment, intervention assessment, school culture, behavior improvement, student discipline referrals, quantitative analysis, conduct management, educational practice, student performance, behavioral data analysis, school support systems, positive student behavior Provide your feedback on BizChat
Abstract
Many school districts nationwide have implemented a school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) intervention to provide an environment for students to be productive, engaged, and empowered to make positive choices. The problem addressed in this study was that student behavior in the classroom was unacceptable as defined by the school’s student code of conduct, resulting in a high number of behavioral referrals and a decrease in instructional time for those students who committed infractions warranting an office discipline referral (ODR). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of an SWPBS intervention on student behavior by comparing ODRs for the year prior (2008/2009) to an SWPBS intervention and the initial year (2009/2010) of an SWPBS intervention at a southwest Florida middle school. The specific research design was a non-experimental, quantitative, descriptive, one-group posttest-only design with a cohort control. Furthermore, chi-square calculations were used to test the hypothesis of two groups that differ with respect to some characteristic and therefore with respect to the relative frequency with which group members fall in several categories. Results for Research Question 1 indicated that there was a decrease in the incidence of ODRs from the year prior to the SWPBS intervention to the initial year of the SWPBS intervention. Results for Research Question 2 indicated that the decrease in major ODRs during the SWPBS intervention might suggest that providing and modeling expectations of acceptable student behavior contributed to the decline of major and minor infractions. Results for Research Question 3 indicated that the number of ODRs for fighting increased only slightly while the number of ODRs for tardiness increased appreciably, while dramatic decreases occurred for insubordination and disrespect ODRs.