DOI: 10.3886/e235601
title: Study of Discipline in the Secondary Classroom: A Positive Approach to Behavior Management

description: This study examined the efficacy of Discipline in the Secondary Classroom (DSC). DSC is a classroom
management program that provides tools and strategies to help high school
teachers establish proactive, nonpunitive discipline policies; manage student
behavior; foster student motivation; and create a positive and productive
classroom. This efficacy study (2018-2025) was funded by the U.S. Department of
Education and conducted by SRI Education and the University of Missouri. The
study took place in urban and suburban high school classrooms in California and
Missouri, where SRI researchers conducted classroom observations and administered
surveys about teachers’ sense of self-efficacy managing classroom behavior and
engaging students, and feelings of burnout to evaluate the impacts of the DSC program.<br>In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the research team also
collected and analyzed survey and interview data about teachers’ experiences and
classroom management practices in online learning settings. To better
understand research study recruitment challenges after the pandemic, the
research team collected and analyzed teacher survey data to learn more about what
factors motivate and discourage high school teachers from participating in
research studies about classroom management practices. 

<br>
description: Response Rates: A total of 96 English
Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics high school teachers participated in the Discipline
in the Secondary Classroom (DSC) impact study (49 treatment, 47 control). A
subset of these teachers [32 in spring 2020 (97% response rate) and 23 teachers
in fall 2020 (96% response rate)] participated in the survey about their experiences
during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 10 educators participated in interviews about
their experiences during the pandemic. <br><br>A total of 96 teachers completed the survey about facilitators
and challenges of participating in a research study about classroom management
practices. These teachers did not participate in the DSC impact study. 

See “Sampling” for a description of the analytic sample.<br>
description: Presence of Common Scales: See data dictionary and instruments (uploaded) for details.
 
 <br><br>
description: We recruited a
sample of high school English Language Arts and mathematics teachers from urban
and suburban high school districts to particpate in the study. 

The analytic sample
for the DSC impact study included 63 teachers (32 intervention, 31
comparison) from three cohorts of teachers (Cohort 2: 2021-22 school year; Cohort
3: 2022-23 school year; Cohort 4: 2023-24 school year). This analytic sample
excluded the first cohort of teachers (33 teachers in the 2019-20 school year) because the team
was unable to collect post-intervention data due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
analytic sample also includes only the first year of data for each cohort. The
original study design was to collect data on each cohort of teachers for two
school years; however, in response to challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic,
the team received federal program officer approval to collect data for one year
only for Cohorts 3 and 4. <br>For the survey on facilitators and barriers of participating in a research study about classroom management practices, the research team invited all high school teachers from one large urban school district in California and one large suburban school district in Missouri.
description: High school teachers in urban and suburban schools in California and Missouri. Smallest Geographic Unit: n/a
description: coded on-site observation; other; web-based survey; The original design proposed a sample of 100 teachers (50 intervention
and 50 comparison) in three cohorts over three school years. Teachers were to participate
in the project for two years. Each year, we planned to recruit students in each
teacher’s classroom to participate and conduct full data collection (i.e.,
student surveys, student direct assessments, direct observations of students
and classrooms, teacher self-surveys, and teacher surveys of participating
students’ behavior).<b></b>

  <br><br>Cohort 1 included 33
teachers in the 2019-20 school year, but the team was unable to collect post-intervention data because of
school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students and teachers did not return to schools in fall of 2020, and we
were unable to recruit the second cohort of teachers in the 2020-21 school
year. Students and teachers returned to schools in the 2021-22 school year;
however, it was difficult for schools and teachers to prioritize participation
in a research study during this transition back to in-person instruction.
Understandably, school administrators, teachers, and staff were focused on
reintegrating students into schools after more than a year of remote
instruction. Recruitment was more difficult each year after the COVID-19
shutdown, and the research team in consultation with the project officer,
modified the study design, in response to these challenges.

  <br>Key changes to the study design included:
collecting information about the impact of COVID-19 on teaching practices and
experiences; recruiting a target sample of 80 teachers for the study; adding a fourth
cohort of teachers during the 2023-24 school year; having teachers participate
for one year; collecting classroom observations and teacher surveys only (no
student-level surveys or academic direct assessments); collecting teacher data
to understand their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic; and collecting
teacher data to better understand high school teachers’ inclination to
participate or not participate in a study of classroom management.<br>