1. Benefits of Specialized Classroom Environment
1.1. Academics
1.1.1. Johnson, J. S. (2011, January 1). The Effect of the Boys Town Education Model on One Elementary School in North Dakota. ProQuest LLC,
1.2. Behavior
1.2.1. Duppong Hurley, K., & Hyland, T. (2000, November). Girls and Boys Town Education Model shows promise with elementary and adolescent SE/BD students. Teaching-Family Association Newsletter, 26, 7.
1.3. Socially
1.3.1. Reimers, T.M., Stoller, C.M., Schlueter, C.L., & Johnson, K.I. (2008). Boys Town's functional assessment team: An approach for evaluating challenging behavior. Teaching-Family Association Newsletter, 34(2) 6-14.
2. Demographics
2.1. Socioeconomic Status
2.1.1. Kaminiski, J.W., Perou, R., Visser, S.n., K.G., Beckwith, L., Howard, J., & Danielson, M.L. (2013). Behavioral and socioemotional outcomes through age 5 years of the legacy for children public health approach to improving developmental outcomes among children born into poverty. American Journal of Public Health, 103(6). 1058-1066.
2.2. Family Unit
2.2.1. Cortes, R.C., Fleming, C.B., Mason, W.A., & Catalano, R.F. (2009). Risk factors linking maternal depressed mood to growth in adolescent substance use. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 17, 49-64.
2.2.1.1. Wymbs, B.T., McCarty, C.A., Mason, W.A., King, K.M., Baer, J.S., Vander Stoep, A., & McCauley, E. (2014). Early adolescent substance use as a risk factor for developing conduct disorder and depression symptoms. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 75(2), 279-289.
2.3. Co-morbid disabilities
2.3.1. Handwerk, M.L., & Marshall, R. (1998). Behavioral and emotional problems of students with learning disabilities, serious emotional disturbance, or both conditions. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 31, 327-338.
2.3.1.1. Barnes-Holmes, Y., Barnes-Holmes, D., Smeets, P.M., Strand, P., & Friman, P. (2004). Establishing relational responding in accordance with more-than and less-than as generalized operant behavior in young children. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 4, 531-558.
2.4. Ethnicity
2.4.1. Washington, T., Rose, T., Colombo, G., Hong, J., & Coard, S. (2015). Family-Level Factors and African American Children's Behavioral Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Child & Youth Care Forum, 44(6), 819-834. doi:10.1007/s10566-015-9308-z
3. My Proposed Research Study
3.1. Proposed Title
3.1.1. Why School Environment Matters, a Look at a Specialized Classroom Setting for Students with Behavioral Disorders.
3.2. Research Questions
3.2.1. first research question: to determine if there is an achievement gap between students placed in behavior-focused classroom and those in the general education and EC resource room.
3.2.2. second research question: to determine the attitudes of students toward the Boys Town Curriculum
3.2.3. third research question: to determine the attitudes of teachers in the behavior-focused classroom towards the BoysTown curriculum
3.2.4. fourth research question: to determine if students think being in the behavior-focused classroom with the BoysTown curriculum Is beneficial to them.
3.2.5. fifth research question: to determine if parents believe that being in the behavior-focused classroom with this curriculum is beneficial to their students
3.3. Research Problem
3.3.1. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the BoysTown curriculum when integrated into the elementary and secondary school settings. The study will analyze data (Point Sheets, Progress Monitoring, Social Skills Lessons) from the 2017-2018 school year and data from the 2018-2019 school year to determine if student behavior has decreased since the implementation of the program. The study will follow students who were in the program previously, but not this year; students that were not in the program last year, but are this year; and students that have been in the program for more than two years.
4. Placement: General Ed vs. Special Ed
4.1. Class Sizes
4.1.1. Nandrup, A. B. (2016). Do class size effects differ across grades?. Education Economics, 24(1), 83-95.
4.2. Classroom Management
4.2.1. Burke, R.V., Oats, R.G., Ringle, J.L., O’Neill Fichtner, L., & DelGaudio, M.B. (2011). Implementation of a classroom management program with urban elementary schools in low-income neighborhoods: Does program fidelity affect student behavior and academic outcomes? Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk, 16, 201-218. doi:10.1080/10824669.2011.585944
4.3. Separate Settings
4.3.1. Gonzalez, L., & Cramer, E. (2013). Class Placement and Academic and Behavioral Variables as Predictors of Graduation for Students with Disabilities. 112-123. doi:10.25148/etd.fi10041610
4.3.2. Bowers, F.E., McGinnis, C., Ervin, R.A., & Friman, P.C. (1999). Merging research and practice: The example of positive peer reporting applied to social rejection. Education and Treatment of Children, 22, 218-226.
5. Attitude towards BoysTown curriculum
5.1. Parents
5.1.1. Griffith, A.K. (2010). The use of a behavioral parent training program for parents of adolescents. The Journal of At-Risk Issues, 15(2), 1-8.
5.2. Teachers/Administrators
5.2.1. Furst, D.W. & Thompson, R.W. (1998). Boys Town Education Model: Outcomes and effects. Boys Town, NE: Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home.
5.3. Students
5.3.1. Thompson, R.W., Huefner, J.C., Ringle, J.L., & Daly, D.L. (2005). Adult outcomes of Girls and Boys Town youth: A follow-up report. In C. Newman, C. Liberton, K. Kutash, & R.M. Friedman (Eds.), Proceedings of the 17th Annual Florida Mental Health Institute Research Conference. A system of care for children’s mental health: Expanding the research base (pp. 529-534). Tampa: University of South Florida.