Date of Award

5-3-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Education

Program

Educational Leadership

Capstone Instructor

Dr. Brian Booth

Second Reader

Dr. Tosca Grimm

Keywords

academic achievement, classroom management, exclusionary discipline, Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS)

Abstract

This literature review studied the existing research on effective behavior management strategies and their potential effects on student achievement as well as reducing suspensions and expulsions at the middle school level. Research determining the elements of what was considered “best-practice” classroom management as well as the impact of these strategies on both academic achievement and exclusionary discipline were all considered. The research included school demographics of all types, but more data from urban environments was available. Most of the studies were conducted within the United States, but some international studies were examined as well when relevant. While middle grade students were the focus of this paper, some research included a broad band of ages ranging from upper elementary to high school. From this research it was concluded that highly effective classroom management stems from an environment with consistent expectations enforced with positivity, and these environments have the capacity to reduce student misbehavior and increase student time-on-task, resulting in an indirect improvement on reading achievement scores. These key insights might help school leaders prioritize the time and training needed to implement these best-practice classroom management systems to improve school culture and academics. Suggested future studies include focusing both classroom management and exclusionary discipline-based research on middle school students specifically as this age group lacks a large body of research.

Comments

A literature review seeking to identify any connection between best-practice classroom management practices and academic achievement & a reduction in exclusionary discipline in middle school-aged students.

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