Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Skills When Working With Challenging Behaviors: Get “Sneaky Smart”, Jeffery R. Craver

Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference

As we work to ensure that all children & youth are in a safe/secure environment where they feel special and can learn, it is humbling when we face challenging behaviors. There isn’t a definitive “guidebook” for educators and parents to turn to, thus making us hungry for more training in behavior management, especially proactive strategies. This presentation will help the participants to see that being “sneaky smart” is all about changing adult behavior, being flexible & willing to truly problem solve, and being more skilled at ways to alter the environment & the positive supports that we can put into …

Disproportionality In Special Education: Current Data And Recommendations, Jasolyn L. Henderson, Paula Freer

Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference

This presentation will focus on disproportionality in special education in Georgia over the last five years. We will describe what disproportionality is, how it is calculated, and the State Education Agency (SEA) and Local Education Agency (LEA) statutory requirements related to disproportionality determinations. In addition, disproportionality trend data over the last five years will be discussed. The presentation will also describe the initiatives that the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is implementing to help reduce disproportionality across the state.

In Georgia and across the nation, disproportionality is oftentimes a symptom of ineffective educational policies, practices, and procedures. Reviewing the policies, …

The Importance Of Trauma-Informed Practices In Schools, Olabisi Agboola

Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference

This presentation will discuss the importance of implementing Trauma- Informed practices into the school setting. Childhood trauma and its impact on academic performance and behaviors will be addressed by; highlighting the effects that trauma can have on a child’s cognitive functioning, ability to regulate their emotions, and maintaining interpersonal relationships. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn why childhood trauma is directly correlated to low academic performance. The main focus in this presentation is to provide an overview on how to implement trauma-informed practices into a school setting through the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports, to reduce …

How To Sustain Excellence: Reigniting Your Mojo, Dr. Laurel Kinard, Jaime Espinosa, Kelly Mcnabb

Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference

Sustainability is a widely recognized and researched component for continued positive outcomes of a school or district’s implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Many schools and districts find that around two years after initial implementation, sometimes even with past positive outcomes, implementation efforts can lose effectiveness and teams lose momentum. Data may show that schools are implementing with poor fidelity or focusing on only limited elements of the PBIS framework. Drawing on the body of published research, knowledge and tools, two large school districts in the metropolitan Atlanta area collaborated in their efforts to reignite the commitment and …

The Use Of Pre-Correction By Pre-Service Teachers, Brook Heard

Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference (2014-2015)

Theoretical Framework

The use of pre-correction strategies by pre-service teachers can, in theory, reduce the number of problem behaviors in the classroom, and greatly increase desired behaviors. By reducing the amount of problem behaviors through pre-correction, the pre-service teachers will spend less classroom time having to address the undesirable behaviors and instead, will be able to increase the amount of time he/she has to teach the lesson planned for the day.

Methodology Data

The pre-service teacher will choose a focus learner and identify a behavior that can be operationally defined such as, the focus learner getting out of his/her seat. …

Challenging Alcohol Expectancies: How To Reduce Underage Drinking In A Single Session, Peter Debenedittis

National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017)

Learn the fundamentals of Alcohol Expectancy Theory, allowing you to challenge student's beliefs about the effects of alcohol and reduce underage and binge drinking in a single session. NIAAA recommends this new approach to youth alcohol prevention. Learn how to apply this in a classroom setting.

The Challenges Of Educating Students In A Growing Climate Of Poverty, Adam K. Meador, Jason (J.) Anderson, Kevin Huffman

National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017)

In this presentation these three professionals will share stories and research from time on the front line of educating students in poverty. Challenges will be acknowledged and successes will be shared from time in the classroom as teachers working in high poverty schools to becoming principals in schools with students of high poverty.

Helping To Make Good Mentoring Programs Even Better: Using The Elements Of Effective Practice, Cheryl L. Howard-Neal

National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017)

Helping Make Good Mentoring Programs Even Better!

Using the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring Programs

Mentoring can be extremely rewarding for the youth and mentors in our programs, but it can also be hard work for the staff that manages the program. Learn about mentoring best practices and find out how you can strengthen your program using evidence based approaches.

After this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the six key elements in creating and running a mentoring program

• Look at their programs and get ideas for ways to strengthen or change program delivery

Identifying And Addressing Disproportionality Within A School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports Framework, Kathryn Roose, Ashley Greenwald, Kaci Fleetwood, Jodie Soracco

National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017)

Over 25 years of research has indicated that minority students are up to two to three times more likely to receive office discipline referrals, school suspensions, and expulsions than their peers. This presentation will address disproportionality by demonstrating how to identify disproportionality using school-wide data systems, and give recommendations on how to reduce disproportionality by intervening at a systems level.

Positive Behavior Interventions And Support: Addressing Challenging Behaviors Through A Multi-Tiered Model Of Prevention, Ashley Greenwald, Kathryn Roose, Jodie Soracco, Kaci Fleetwood

National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017)

This workshop will describe the core features of School-wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS). Implementation and data-based decision making will be highlighted. Participants will learn the importance and benefit of a multi-tiered behavior framework at each of three tiers of support. The primary target audience for this workshop is administrators, however the content is relevant to educators and parents.

Redefining Public Education For Males, Nakia Douglas, Robert Edison, Kerry Shelton, Angela Fulbright

National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017)

The moral imperative to educate and save the young men within our communities has never had a higher call to action. Come learn what “The” Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy in Dallas ISD is doing to Save Our Young Men one student at a time through their holistic approach to education.

Bully Prevention In Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports, Kaci Fleetwood, Ashley Greenwald, Kathryn Roose, Jodie Soracco

National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017)

This session will focus on how to embed bully prevention efforts within a school setting (K-12). Specifically, the logic for providing bully prevention will be presented followed with specific strategies and skills needed for both students and staff to prevent bullying behavior on campus. Outcome data for schools that have implemented BP-PBIS will be shared.

10 Strategies Proven To Inspire & Engage Every Student, Christian Moore

National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017)

Participants who attend the proposed session will learn 1) how to speak the language of today’s youth using relevant multimedia, physical activities, and visual metaphors; 2) how youth can take the challenges they face in life and channel them in a positive direction; and 3) how to guide youth in building positive support systems. Ultimately, this presentation will provide the audience with tools to help students in any tier answer the question, “Why try in life?”

Transforming Rural Culture And Climate With Goal, Chris Ice, Adriana Cavazos Ms.

National Youth-At-Risk Conference, West (2015-2017)

GOAL nurtures leadership qualities among 2nd language learners and at-risk students through mental, emotional, and physical wellness in a high-trust environment. GOAL desires to create a network of socially responsible individuals engaged in strengthening family, school, and community.

Developmental Trajectories Of The Children Of The Incarcerated: From An Educational Psychological Perspective, Meagan C. Arrastia

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

In the state of Georgia, more than 28,000 children have parents that are currently incarcerated (The Sentencing Project, 2013). At the nationwide-level, a total of 10 million children have at some point lived without one or both parents due to incarceration (Pew, 2010). Although the captive audience of the imprisoned parents have been studied in the past, these parents rarely have an understanding of their children’s experiences. In fact, a majority of the state prison population reported never getting to see their children for visitation (Glaze & Maruscak, 2010). Recent research has found high rates of learning disabilities, communication problems, …

Undergraduate Research In Georgia Classrooms, Courtney Hartman, Jessica Davis, Meredith Eby, Meca Williams-Johnson, Yasar Bodur

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Despite considerable research describing the positive outcomes of including undergraduate students in research inquiry and investigations (Desai, Gatson, Stiles, Stewart, Laine, & Quick, 2008; Narayanan, 1999; Russell, Hancock, & McCullough, 2007), very little action is taken to include education majors in research endeavors. While universities are seeking to find ways to include students earlier and more often in research projects, students’ perspectives on conducting their own research is overwhelmingly overlooked. The purpose of this symposium is to introduce undergraduate research in education to GERA and to expose these students to conference presentations.

In recent years, the College of Education at …

Student Perceptions Of Caring Mathematics Instruction, Andrew B. Spires

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

In my study I would like to examine how students who are part of a ninth grade mathematics intervention program describe caring mathematics instruction. Researchers have shown the importance of caring instruction especially as it relates to high school mathematics instruction of students who have a history of academic struggles and failure. Given that caring is a complex construct, students’ perceptions of teacher caring not only has the potential to inform high school mathematics instruction but also could lead to healthier and stronger teacher-student relationships.

Evaluating A Behaviorist And Constructivist Learning Theory For 21st Century Learners, Paul F. Sidney

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

A critical issue in educational learning theory involves examining the effectiveness of the modern constructivists and the traditional behaviorist educational theories to impact 21st century global student learning. Research articles by Ultanir, E. (2012). An Epistemological Glance at the Constructivist Approach: Constructivist Learning in Dewey, Piaget, and Montessori, addresses learning development based on natural talent as an assertion of constructivism. Additionally Magni, Polina, Cappetta, & Proserpio (2013) in their article Diving Too Deep: How Cognitive Absorption and Group Learning Behavior Affect Individual Learning assert that the constructivist theory provides students with an intrinsic, collaborative effort towards learning. Additionally Oakland (2012) …

A Research Study On The Reasons For High Employee Turnover Rates In A Manufacturing Facility, Tiffany E. Lewis

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

This research study was designed to determine the causes and possible solutions to the problem of high employee turnover rates within a particular manufacturing organization located in central Georgia. The in-depth research was completed in an ongoing effort to retain valuable employees in manufacturing organizations before these employees have reached the decision to depart the organization. The research outcome or the turnover analysis process may be useful to other companies and may add to the present academic research addressing employee turnover. The researcher incorporated qualitative research methods for cause determination. The objectives of the research were to identify work-related and …

Promising Practices For Supervisors Of Teacher Candidates Enrolled In Yearlong, Co-Taught Clinical Experiences, Toni Strieker, Daphne Hubbard, Megan Adams, Neporcha Cone

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Promising Practices for Supervisors of Teacher Candidates Enrolled in

Yearlong, Co-taught Clinical Experiences

Abstract

This self-study examined the pedagogical practices of university supervisors who supervised teacher candidates, enrolled in yearlong, co-taught, P-12, clinical experiences. Supervisory practices were situated in a collegial, reflective and developmental model of supervision. The participant sample included 41 teacher candidates, along with 41 of their collaborating teachers and 15 field supervisors who supervised four to six candidates throughout the yearlong experience. Our findings indicate that we, along with our collegial supervisors, used collaborative and non-directive approaches to structure the dialogue with our teacher candidates and the …

Education For Non-English Speaking Latino Students, Maria M. Weant

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

This is a research analysis concerning the necessity of educating immigrant children in the United States. This has become an important issue in our United States. Immigrant children through the recent years and present time, make up a significant portion of the school population. The majority of these are immigrants from Mexico. These “Latino” students have a great impact in today's public school systems.

Major court cases and legislation such as Plyer vs. Doe, Lau vs. Nichols, and Proposition 203 have brought attention to the rights and education of immigrant children. There are many different programs in place to teach …

Implementing Model Curriculum Standards, Jose A. Villavicencio

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

The recently published Standards for Learning World Languages guide teachers and students to teach and learn a foreign language of choice in ways that prepares them for life and career plans. The problem is that the Standards added the post secondary. It now includes elementary, middle, high school, and college in the progress indicators and achievable student learning outcomes. It is necessary to review the teaching and learning at the college level because this plan is meant to encourage school systems to consider a long-term sequential approach, comparable to math, science, and language arts, to permit learners the opportunity to …

Technology Integration Into Differentiated Mathematics Instruction: Teacher Attitudes, Ardyth Foster, Jackie Kim

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Differentiated instruction (DI) is based on the idea that students differ significantly in their interests, learning styles, and readiness, and teaching strategies and decisions involving content, process, and product should vary accordingly[1]. Grimes and Stevens (2009)[2] reported a positive correlation between students’ academic success, motivation, and self-efficacy with its use. DI has also been found to result in improved test scores on district and state assessments in every subject, at every grade level. Beecher’s (2008) study supports the idea that using a DI approach and enriched learning experiences could help close the achievement gap between culturally and …

Open-Educational Resources (Oers) In The College Classroom: A Case Study, Judy O. Grissett, Charles Huffman

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Rising textbook costs are creating additional debt for college students and in some cases, are causing students to forgo purchasing a textbook (Mitchell, 2014). Open educational resources (OER), which are typically free or low-cost, have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional paper textbooks. In this study, we examined perceptions and effectiveness of an OER in an introductory psychology course at a small, public university in Georgia. We compared 1) perceptions of the type of textbook students were using (perceptions of OERs among students using an OER and traditional paper texts among students using traditional paper texts) and 2) course …

The Invisible Voices Behind The Adult Education Movement, Dianne F. Lawton, Dionne Rosser-Mims

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

The Invisible Voices Behind the Adult Education Movement

Abstract

While one can easily find reference to the contributions of numerous male educators to the development of the field of Adult Education, the contributions of women are not as evident in the literature. Hugo (2015) points out that women were the prime movers in the development of adult education in the 20^th century when the definition of adult education is broadened to include “women’s clubs, settlement house work, suffrage, and library development” (p. 20). Rose (2015) notes that women do the “grunt work” because they focus their efforts on immediate, …

Providing Evidence Teacher Candidates Teach Well, How Well They Teach, And How We Know, John Hobe

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

How do we decide what teacher candidates need to do well in a program, how well they do it, and how do we know, will be seen, heard, and discussed. Participants will receive activities, with examples, explaining how these decision are made so program standards are demonstrated and assessed. Procedures for video evidence gathered during field experiences and related to decided standards and requirements, including edTPA, will be analyzed with presentation participant involvement. This research project is in progress.

“I Hate You, And I Hate This School”: The Argument For Cultural Proficiency In Developing Culturally Responsive Classroom Management, Mary Elizabeth Kelly, Barbara Mckinney

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

The cases of Trayvon Martin, and Michael Brown garnered international attention to the plight of young Black men in the United States. While these young men’s’ lives were shortened in young adulthood, scholars and educators argue that stereotyping of young men of color begins when they enter the public school systems of the United States. According to Jacqueline Jordan Irvine “because the culture of black children is different and often misunderstood, ignored, or discounted, Black students are likely to experience cultural discontinuity in schools, particularly schools in which the majority or Eurocentric persons, control, administer, teach”(p.xix). Moreover, Irvine argues that …

Southern Collegiate Leadership Conference Program 2015, Southern Collegiate Leadership Conference

Southern Collegiate Leadership Conference (2006-2019)

Conference Program

Designing Backwards From College To High School: Practical Insights About Teaching Threshold Concepts, Susan Smith, Debbie Abilock

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

“Scholarship is a Conversation,” involves mastering disciplinary ways of thinking and communicating including using nuances in syntax, specialized vocabulary and subject-appropriate evidence to convey ideas in an appropriate medium or genre, shaped for a particular audience and context. We asked ourselves: What developmentally appropriate sequence could we craft to teach this concept that might serve as a model for other teaching librarians across institutions? How could students learn a rhetorically-nuanced inquiry process that would enable them to weigh and weave source ideas into a multicolored tapestry in their own voices? We will share our initial work to introduce “Scholarship is …

Researching My Role For Myself: Reacting To The Past And Information Literacy, Caroline Hopkinson Ms., Allison Belzer

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

In Minds on Fire: How Role-Immersion Games Transform College (Harvard UP, 2014) Mark Carnes argues that curricula such as “Reacting to the Past” engages students in subversive play in order to succeed in instilling concepts that have proved difficult to teach by other methods: critical thinking, empathy, leadership, a realistic view of history, and ultimately a better understanding of themselves. Such experiences, we have found, also foster inquiry and strategic thinking, core concepts of ACRL’s framework for information literacy.

Participants will experience an abbreviated “game day” session from the Reacting to the Past curriculum, to illustrate how the role playing …