Michael John Richardson

Research has long described the relationship between motivation to read and the success with reading that many students experience while others do not. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the reading motivation of 9th grade students so as to understand how this motivation or lack of motivation may be influencing course enrollment decisions. This work is important because research has repeatedly demonstrated how course enrollment decisions directly impact future academic and vocational success. However, this work has centered on motivation related to math and science coursework with a dearth of research focusing on reading motivation and language arts courses. Thus, understanding more about how students perceive themselves and their ability to be successful with reading can help educators and school counselors advise students appropriately so they are able to reach their full potential and academic trajectory. The expectancy-value theory (see Eccles et al., 1983) provided the foundation for this study which included an exploration of the four task values (attainment, cost, intrinsic motivation, and utility), and the expectancies for success (e.g., past experiences and reader identity) in relation to reading motivation and potential academic success. <br>In this quantitative study, a survey measuring reading motivation was administered to 9th graders (N = 118) attending a public high school. The survey allowed for a general overview of how these 9th graders viewed their motivation to read, which was based upon their reported expectancies and what they valued. Overall mean scores from the survey indicated the participants reported fairly high reading motivation. The results of a one-way ANOVA used to compare the item mean scores between the two groups indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between honors and general education students when it came to their reading motivation and specifically in the areas of wanting to get good grades, feeling it is worth the cost to do well in school, feeling successful at reading, understanding that reading is important, and seeing the usefulness of reading outside of school. A medium effect size was reported for each of these comparisons suggesting practical significance. Though these findings were not surprising what is surprising is that only five of the 13 items resulted in statistically significant differences between the two groups of students. These results suggest that students enrolled in both a general education and honors language arts course are more similar when it comes to reading motivation than different. <br>Next, we conducted a point biserial correlation to explore if there was a relationship between course enrollment decisions and reading motivation. The results indicated that the higher a students reading motivation score was on the survey, then the more likely the student was to enroll in an honors language arts course. These findings suggest that educators should consider finding ways to increase reading motivation in students to help them There also might be certain students who would benefit from encouragement to consider enrolling in an honors class but who might not see themselves as capable. Study findings also suggest a need for further explorations about how 9th graders see and value reading, how 9th graders are currently being encouraged and motivated to read, and how teachers, school leaders, and counselors can better support 9th graders as they make decisions about which courses to enroll in so that students may be able to reach their full academic and vocational potential.

Behavior intervention plans (BIPs) are intended to help educators systematically support students with behavioral problems at school. Previous research confirms that the effectiveness of a BIP depends on the degree to which the plan is technically adequate and implemented with integrity. What remains unclear from the literature is how professional experience and environmental variables impact technical adequacy, treatment integrity, and student outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore these relationships using data collected from a survey of members experiences with the BIP implementation team. The researchers collected BIPs from local school districts and then surveyed members of the implementation team regarding their professional qualifications, training, involvement in the BIP development process, treatment integrity, and perceived impact on student outcomes. Results from two multiple regression models predicting treatment integrity and student outcomes suggest that practitioners perceptions of BIP quality significantly predicted treatment integrity. Additionally, training, BIP quality, and treatment integrity significantly predicted student outcomes. These findings suggest that practitioners perceptions of BIP quality may play an important role in predicting treatment integrity but improving student outcomes requires technical adequacy and targeted professional development.

The purpose of this study was to examine any relationships between students perceptions of the effects of school uniforms and student socioeconomic status. A survey was administered to 182 students in a charter school to gather perception information, and a separate survey was administered to parents to gather socioeconomic status information. An examination of individual survey items revealed older students were more likely to report that school uniforms help to reduce bullying and teasing, and some students of high socioeconomic status reported that uniforms help reduce arguments with parents about clothing. Student responses on 10 survey items were grouped into one<br>factor called School Climate, reflecting student perceptions on how uniforms affect the schools climate. Analyses revealed no significant relationships between the School Climate factor and socioeconomic status. However, Hispanic students reported a significantly more positive response overall than non- Hispanic students. These findings suggest students of various socioeconomic status perceive school uniforms similarly, but older students could be more likely to associate uniforms with a reduction in bullying.

Adolescence can be a particularly difficult time for youth as they experience the physical, social, and academic changes that accompany developing maturity. One of the most critical challenges for schools is teaching adolescent students positive social and emotional skills, which are crucial for them to succeed academically and emotionally. <i>Strong Kids</i> is a social-emotional learning curriculum designed to reduce students internalizing symptoms. <i>Strong Kids</i> has shown promise in elementary schools; this was the first study to evaluate the newly updated version of the program in a middle school setting. Two general education teachers implemented the curriculum with eight students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Researchers used a mixed methods design to evaluate outcomes. Findings suggest that <i>Strong Kids</i> was effective at improving students social-emotional knowledge and internalizing symptoms; however, there were no significant changes in their externalizing symptoms.

Wisdom is commonly viewed as a development in the latter part of the life span (Clayton & Birren, 1980; Sternberg, 1986; Sowarka, 1989; Orwoll & Perlmutter, 1990), although at least one theorist has argued that wisdom is lost over time, not gained (Meacham, 1990). In contrast, empirical work supports the idea that many crucial "building blocks" for wisdom are emerging during adolescence and young adulthood (Pasupathi, Staudinger, & Baltes, 2001; Staudinger & Pasupathi, 2003). The limited direct evidence on wisdom among adolescents supports the idea that adolescence is a key period for the development of wisdom.

Progress in the child maltreatment field depends on refinements in leading models. This study examines aspects of social information processing theory (Milner, 2000) in predicting physical maltreatment risk in a community sample. Consistent with this theory, selected preexisting schema (external locus-of-control orientation, inappropriate developmental expectations, low empathic perspective-taking ability, and low perceived attachment relationship to child) were expected to predict child abuse risk beyond contextual factors (parenting stress and anger expression). Based on 115 parents? self-report, results from this study support cognitive factors that predict abuse risk (with locus of control, perceived attachment, or empathy predicting different abuse risk measures, but not developmental expectations), although the broad contextual factors involving negative affectivity and stress were consistent predictors across abuse risk markers. Findings are discussed with regard to implications for future model evaluations, with indications the model may apply to other forms of maltreatment, such as psychological maltreatment or neglect.

This study conducted in four secondary schools across three years, provides an example of how stakeholder perceptions about school quality might be obtained and analyzed to aid in setting administrative objectives. The participating schools served predominantly Caucasian students in suburban and rural areas. Approximately 30% of students at these schools received free or reduced lunch. Parents, students and school staff were asked to complete the Indicators of School Quality survey, which includes items regarding parent support, teacher excellence, student commitment, school leadership, instructional quality, resource management, and school safety. An average of 1098 parents, 159 teachers, and 3108 students completed surveys each year across the three years. School staff tended to rate their schools more positively on average than parents. Female students, younger students, and students claiming ethnic majority status all tended to rate their schools higher than other students. These results suggest that administrators could benefit from understanding how stakeholders differ in their perceptions of school quality, particularly as they engage in school improvement efforts.

The Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD), a multistage screening system designed to identify elementary school?age children at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders, was evaluated for use with middle and junior high school students. During SSBD Stage 1, teachers identified 123 students in grades 6 through 9 with characteristics of internalizing and externalizing disorders. Teachers then completed SSBD Stage 2 behavior rating scales, the Teacher Report Form, and
the Social Skill Rating System on 119 of these students identified as at-risk during Stage 1. Office discipline referrals and cumulative grade point averages for at-risk students were compared to those of students not designated by teachers. SSBD Stage 2 scores were compared with scores from the Teacher Report Form and Social Skill Rating System. Internal consistency and interrater reliability of the SSBD were also examined. Results provide evidence for the reliability and validity of
SSBD ratings of early adolescent students.

School recess, though beneficial to students in many ways, can be a problematic setting due to inadequate supervision, structure, and safety. A peer praise note (PPN) intervention was implemented on the recess playground to address these concerns at a Title I elementary school. Researchers used a single-subject reversal design across all students to evaluate intervention effectiveness. Results included overall improvements in the level, trend, and variability of office discipline referrals (ODRs), especially from reversal to reinstatement of the intervention, and an effect size (percentage of data points exceeding the median; PEM) suggesting that PPNs effectively decreased ODRs. Results from social validity surveys completed by recess aides and students indicated participants perceptions that PPNs helped improve student behavior and peer relations, communicate playground rules, extend supervision responsibilities, and offer structured activity to peer praisers. Limitations, future research, and implications are addressed.

Students who experience social withdrawal and anxiety (internalizing difficulties) are often overlooked in schools due to the covert nature of their symptoms. The literature lacks empirically supported preventive approaches for kindergarten students who are socially withdrawn and behind their peers in developing social skills. Furthermore, research suggests that parents often are not adequately involved in interventions during this critical period of social development. In response to this need, a school-based intervention was implemented to increase the positive social interaction of three kindergarten students on the playground. Treatment consisted of (a) social skills training, (b) adult mediation, (c) self-evaluation and reinforcement, and (d) parent involvement through home notes. The effects of this intervention were assessed on the playground during recess using partial interval recording of target students positive interactions. During implementation of the intervention, all target students demonstrated improvements in social interaction. Future studies should investigate whether addressing the limitations of this study would yield stronger results with this underserved population.