"One for All and All for One": Assessing the Implementation of One Comprehensive School-Wide Discipline Program in a Primary School in Southwest Georgia

• Other Authors: Ward, Linda T. (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Education
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-1242

In schools across America, school safety and student discipline remain primary concerns for all stakeholders in the education process. Researchers and educators suggest that implementing a school-wide discipline plan tailored to meet the needs of a particular school setting is one solution to the complex behavior management problem. The limited research on the actual impact of using a school-wide discipline program in specific school settings indicates that further investigation regarding these programs is warranted. The primary purpose of this longitudinal study was to gain insights and understandings of the implementation of a comprehensive behavior management program, Discipline with Unity, within a specific primary school setting in Southwest Georgia across a three-year time frame, 2005-2008. The goal was to assess the impact of program implementation on (a) student behavior, (b) teachers' perceptions toward behavior management, and (c) school climate. Revelatory themes emerging from teachers' narrative comments along with consequences, both intended and unintended, of program implementation were also identified and discussed. Furthering research in this area should add information to the existing body of knowledge regarding the process of developing and implementing a positive school-wide discipline initiative oriented toward preventing behavior problems. However, the results of this study may not be generalized to other settings. The descriptive case study utilized a mixed methods non-experimental research design with an emphasis on qualitative approaches to data analysis. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were the primary sources of data collection and allowed the researcher to gain access to more descriptive information while providing insight into teachers' perspectives of program implementation. Qualitative data analysis techniques were used to derive themes and understandings of the behavior initiative. Details of a story emerged throughout the guided inquiry process to describe program implementation as perceived by school staff. Quantitative data were collected through office discipline referral data, school-administered discipline surveys, and district-administered Correlates of Effective Schools Staff Perception Surveys. Descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, independent t tests, and one-way between groups analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed to help analyze and evaluate the school-wide program's impact. A variety of factors appear to have influenced the implementation of the comprehensive Discipline with Unity behavior management program. Results of the investigation indicated that this school-wide initiative brought about a number of changes in beliefs, teaching approaches, and discipline. Findings also suggested that implementation of the school-wide program had a generally positive impact on student behavior, teachers' perceptions of behavior management, and school climate. However, concerns regarding program implementation were also identified. Several of the prominent themes related to the outcomes of the study were the chronic offender, consistency in program implementation, and resistance to change. Specifically, recommendations were offered for the school-level educational practitioners implementing the program, district-level personnel, and future researchers in the process of school-wide behavior management program implementation. === A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education. === Fall Semester, 2009. === September 1, 2009. === Teacher Perceptions, Student Behavior, School Climate, Discipline Program, Discipline, Behavior Management === Includes bibliographical references. === Joseph Beckham, Professor Directing Dissertation; Elizabeth Jakubowski, University Representative; Judith Irvin, Committee Member; Kathy Guthrie, Committee Member.