successful academic intervention strategies · successful academic intervention strategies 7 them...

Successful Academic Intervention Strategies

1


by

Michael D. Zides

A Research Paper

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the

Master of Arts Degree

in

Education

Cal State University San Marcos

Spring 2015


2

Thesis Abstract

As students progress through each grade level in school some fall behind. There is no

greater educational challenge than when an 8th

grader ascends into high school. As

students fail to learn the curriculum it becomes extremely difficult to continue at the same

pace as the rest of the class. When students fall further and further behind they struggle,

become frustrated, give up, and many end up failing the course. The purpose of this

study is to examine effective intervention strategies that help struggling students become

more successful as they transition academically from middle school to high school.

Specifically this research examines 80 struggling students who have been grouped into

four high school Academic Success classes. These trained teachers use teacher-student

rapport, engagement strategies, coping and reflection skills and behavior support plans as

intervention strategies to help students succeed. The literature and data collected

demonstrate that the Academic Success classes, and intervention strategies, are helping

students become more academically successful in school. From 8th

grade to 9th

grade,

these students’ attendance rates increased while their discipline issues decreased. Grades

in English, math and science increased dramatically and students’ overall feeling about

being in the class was positive. There is a way to help struggling students in school by

training teachers and implementing specific intervention strategies that assist students

before they fail. The educational system might consider using these intervention

strategies while students are struggling rather than assigning failing students to a summer

school class to remediate. The key is providing timely, preventative intervention

strategies before students fail.


3

Keywords: Academic success, behavior support plans, closing achievement gaps,

intervention strategies, reflection & coping skills, student engagement, teacher-student

rapport.

List of Tables & Figures

Figure 1. 8th

and 9th

Grade Attendance Rates………………………………..………..35

Figure 2. 8th

and 9th

Grade English Grades…………………………………...………36

Figure 3. 8th

and 9th Grade Math Grades………………………………..…………....37

Figure 4. 8th

and 9th Grade Science Grades..………………………………………....38

Figure 5. 8th

and 9th

Grade Discipline Entries……………………….………………..39

Figure 6. 9th

Grade Student Survey Responses…………………………………….....40

Table 1. Tally Sheet of Classroom Observation/Intervention Strategies Used……...41


4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

................................................................................................................................ Page

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ 2

List of Tables .............................................................................................................. 3

List of Figures ............................................................................................................. 3

Chapter I: Introduction ............................................................................................... 6

Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................... 7

Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................. 7

Literature Review .................................................................................................... 8

Methodology ........................................................................................................... 8

Significance of the Study .......................................................................................... 9

Summary ................................................................................................................... 9

Definition of Terms................................................................................................. 10

Chapter II: Literature Review ................................................................................... 12

Theme 1 .................................................................................................................. 12

Theme 2 .................................................................................................................. 16

Theme 3 .................................................................................................................. 20

Theme 4……………………………………………………………………………………...22

Summary ................................................................................................................. 25

Chapter III: Methodology ......................................................................................... 28

Design ..................................................................................................................... 29

Participants and Setting........................................................................................... 29


5

Instrumentation ....................................................................................................... 30

Data Collection Procedures..................................................................................... 31

Data Analysis .......................................................................................................... 32

Summary .................................................................................................................. 32

Chapter IV: Results/Data Presentation ..................................................................... 34

Data Presentation .................................................................................................... 35

Data Analysis .......................................................................................................... 40

Interpretation .......................................................................................................... 41

Summary ................................................................................................................. 43

Chapter V: Recommendations/Discussion ............................................................... 45

Finding Summary/Interpretations…………………………………………………..46

Educational Implications/Recommendations……………………………………..47

Limitations………………………………………………………………………...48

Future Research Directions……………………………………………………….49

Conclusions/Summary……………………………………………………………51

References………………………………………………………………………….53

Appendix A: Student Survey………………………………………………………56

Appendix B: Teacher Interview……………………………………………………56


6

Chapter I: Introduction

Context

You are the head cross-country coach at your high school. You line up with all 36 of

your runners at the starting line, the guns sounds, and you all start running the race at the

same time. You have 18 miles in front of you and your athletes will need to pace

themselves in order to finish the long race. After the 18-mile journey you cross the finish

line just ahead of your team and as you turn around and look back, for the first time in the

race, you see about two thirds of your team have crossed the finish line with you. The

remaining 12 athletes have stopped at various points throughout the race and will not

finish. You know something is wrong because earlier in the race they give up, and quit.

The problem is that you never turned around earlier, to intervene and help, when your

athletes were struggling and that is why they have not finished the race. This story

illustrates that when people start to struggle, and no intervention is provided, they will

fail. The head coach in this race is the teacher in the classroom, the athletes are the

students in the classroom, and the 18-mile race is the length of a high school semester.

Runners not stopping and finishing the race are the struggling students who do not learn

all of the standards, fail the class, and are at-risk of not graduating. Most importantly,

when the coach turns around at the end of the race it is too late because no early

intervention was provided which caused the students to struggle, stop and eventually fail.

These students will have to repeat the class and attend an after school credit recovery

class or summer school. Having students fail and make up classes is not the ideal way of

helping students. Catching students along the way, as they struggle in class, and helping


7

them by intervening at the exact moment they struggle is the best way to help students be

successful.

Statement of the Problem

More and more teachers today are faced with the problem of having to educate more

and more students in a classroom. As class sizes increase, due to budget cuts and less

teachers, students receive less one on one instructional time with their teachers. Less one

on one time means students are left on their own more often to figure things out and

concepts they do not understand. When a student struggles they need immediate help.

There are more demands on teachers such as covering more standards, common

formative and summative assessments, and the depth of material that must be covered. In

a typical classroom with 36 students there are multiple levels of student cognition and

often teachers will have four to five different levels of students within the one class of 36.

Some students learn the material once and are off and running and able to complete the

assignments. Other students need a little extra time and help to understand and finish

while others are so far behind they need a significant amount of extra instruction given by

the teacher. How can a teacher teach to so many different levels of students and expect

them to learn and progress at the rate the teacher is teaching? There is no “One size fits

all” teaching approach and a teacher cannot teach at one pace and expect all students to

understand, master the standards, and move at the same time. Too often teachers will

teach the material, ask if there are any questions, and then move on. Many teachers

believe that all students understand, after instruction, and are ready to move on but the

reality is they are not. Teachers have students in their classes that are falling behind while


8

many other students move ahead. Many students become frustrated and give up. This

frustration cycle continues until the student fails the class work, homework assignments

and assessments. The student ends up failing the class and has to repeat it either after

school during credit recovery or summer school. This is known as a post mortem

approach because the student has already failed before anything is done to help. Teachers

need to provide timely interventions, within their classes, at multiple points during the

semester, in order to catch those students before they fail. Students begin to fall through

the educational cracks as early as first and second grade and by the time they reach high

school some students are significantly behind and cannot handle the pace of most high

school classes. The best teachers use intervention strategies throughout the semester to

help all students stay on pace. Intervention strategies are any type of technique, used by

the teacher, to help struggling students catch up and not fall further and further behind in

class. Many students come into high school and are identified as having a high

probability of struggling. Many of these struggling students have parents that did not

graduate from high school and other students failed elementary and middle school in

earlier grades. Some of these students have learning disorders, behavior issues, and have

traditionally achieved at a lower rate than most students in their grade level. These

students have lower grade point averages, have more discipline issues, and have lower

attendance rates compared to their successful peers. Like it or not teachers have these

students enrolled into each of their classrooms and the question is how can a teacher

successfully help these at-risk students achieve in their classrooms? The literature review

examines four key intervention strategies which are 1) teacher-student rapport, 2) student

engagement, 3) reflection and coping skills, and 4) behavior support plans. The purpose


9

of my study is to examine four key intervention strategies being used in the classroom

and to see if these intervention strategies and student academic success are related. I will

use attendance rates, discipline referrals, and grades to determine if a relationship exists

between the strategies and student success. The significance of my study is to identify

what intervention strategies are helping students’ succeed in class and prevent them from

falling behind, becoming lost, and failing. DeSocio’s work (2007) looks closely at

teacher-student rapport while Honigfeld (2009) dives deep into understanding how

student engagement is critical for student success in the classroom. Having students

reflect and develop coping skills is the main focus of Joseph (2010) and Frydenberg

(2004) takes an in-depth analysis of behavior support plans. The methodology I will use

is a case study in which I will collect data from teacher interviews, student surveys,

students’ grades, attendance, and discipline rates. I will observe the students, while

working, in the four Academic Success classes and I will examine all data collected and

determined if there is a possible connection which ties the data results to the intervention

strategies being used. The four Academic Success classes were created to support the 80

most academically struggling 8th

grade students entering high school. The results of my

study will be used to help teachers and school leaders identify intervention strategies that

help struggling students succeed in the classroom making them less likely to give up in

school.

Research Question

What successful teacher intervention strategies help struggling high school students

achieve? There are many strategies being used in today’s classrooms to help students


10

catch up as they begin to fail. It is far too late to merely provide an after school credit

recovery class or summer school as the two other available options to help struggling

students. The research shows that when teachers intervene with prevention, as a student

begins to struggle and before they fail, students are much more likely to understand the

material, perform well on standardized tests, and pass the class (DeSocio, 2007). This

study will examine what successful intervention strategies are currently being used by

four Academic Success teachers in order to help at-risk students achieve. Better grades,

better attendance, and less discipline issues are hopeful student outcomes when teachers

use effective intervention strategies. The four intervention strategies examined through

the literature review will be student-teacher rapport in the classroom, student engagement

activities, behavior support plans in the classroom, and the teaching of reflection and

coping skills.

Research Plans

At one urban high school there are four academic success classes set up for incoming

at-risk 9th

graders. These four classes have 20 students each and were identified as the

most at-risk 9th

graders coming out of the 8th

grade. The criteria used to determine the

participants of this study were the 80 most struggling students who had failed at least

three of their classes, had low attendance rates and many behavioral issues. The four

Academic Success teachers were trained to use specific strategies to help these at-risk

students in their first year of high school and I will examine four specific strategies being

implemented in each classroom. I will observe the four Academic Success classes three

times during the second semester. I will look for the implementation of the previously


11

mentioned four strategies being used in each classroom. I will use a tally sheet and record

the number of occurrences of each intervention strategy I see being used. I will survey all

students, in each of the four classes, using a Likert scale survey in which I will be

examining how satisfied each student is with the Academic Success class, the teacher,

and their overall performance in school. Specifically I will be asking students about their

grades, attendance and discipline issues by having them compare the last years and this

year. I will collect data from each student’s 8th

grade year and compare that same data

from their 9th

grade year. I will collect the data from the 9-week, 18-week, and 27-week

report cards from their 9th

grade year. In addition I will look at their grades in English,

math and science from 8th

grade and 9th

as well as their attendance rates from both 8th

grade and 9th

. Finally, I will examine and record how many discipline entries each

student had from 8th

grade compared to their current 9th

grade year. I am looking to

determine if the intervention strategies being used in the four academic success classes

are helping students be more successful in school. I am looking to see if these at-risk 9th

graders have less F’s in English, math and science, have better attendance rates and less

behavioral issues. I will compare the data to the opinions of both teachers and students

and determine if there is a connection between the intervention strategies being used and

the success of students when transitioning from 8th

grade (middle school) to 9th

grade

(high school). The literature examined will identify four specific strategies that teachers

were trained on and are being used in the classroom and will determine if these strategies

are helping struggling students achieve and be more successful. The literature review will

demonstrate that all four strategies have proven to be successful when implemented

properly.


12

Chapter II: Literature Review

Overview

There are many intervention strategies being used in classrooms today to help

struggling students succeed. Teachers are faced with multi-leveled students in their

classrooms and there is no one approach or technique that will reach all students.

Teachers must use a variety of intervention strategies in order to help students while they

are struggling as opposed to after they fail. The literature review examines four different

intervention strategies that have proven to be successful in improving student

achievement. All four of the strategies examined in each of the classrooms are used as

on-going strategies throughout the year. This study will seek to demonstrate that teachers

who use these prescribed intervention strategies have higher rates of student success in

the classroom as measured by lower number of F grades, lower discipline issues and

higher attendance rates. The four literature review areas of focus examine teacher-student

rapport, student engagement, reflection and coping skills, and behavior support plans.

Teacher-Student Rapport

The most successful academic intervention strategy for at-risk students involves

having a caring, mentor teacher, who forms a positive bond with their students (DeSocio

et. al, 2007). Students do not care how much an adult knows unless they know how

much the adult cares. At-risk students struggle for many reasons in school but having an

adult who cares about them is the first step in turning that student around (DeSocio et. al,

2007). The main role of a mentor teacher is to build a relationship with each student so

the student feels cared about and has that connection with at least one person on campus


13

that has a vested interest in how they are performing (DeSocio et. al, 2007). Students who

have a caring adult watching over them are more likely to succeed in school than those

students who do not (DeSocio et. al, 2007). Mentor teachers’ work with students before

school, during class, at break, at lunch or after school giving them the extra help and

tutoring they need (DeSocio et. al, 2007). These mentors help students improve their

study habits, which allow them to be more successful in school. Students trust these

mentors and realize these mentors are advocates for the student. When a student has

difficulty in a particular class, whether it is with the material or with a personality conflict

with the teacher, the mentor teacher will help the student advocate for him or herself.

Student/teacher conflict is uncomfortable and many students avoid these types of

situations, which lead to the student underachieving in that class (DeSocio et. al, 2007).

The teacher will assist the student in having that uncomfortable yet necessary

conversation, with the teacher, in order to work through a problem. Many at-risk students

report they have no adult at school or at home that is genuinely concerned about how well

they are achieving and willing to intervene and find out what is wrong (DeSocio et. al,

2007). It is important for these mentors to receive support so they are better able to

service and assist at-risk students (DeSocio et. al, 2007). Support groups are set up for

these mentors where they are able to discuss with other mentors which strategies are

working and which strategies are not. By having a mentor support group all mentors are

able to assist students more effectively. During this mentorship a special bond develops

between the student and mentor and this student/teacher rapport is critical. Research

indicates that students’ experience of educational resiliency is clearly linked to students’

connection with their teachers. “At-risk students need teachers to build healthy


14

interpersonal relationships with them, focus on their strengths to promote positive self-

esteem, and maintain high realistic expectations for academic performance” (Downey,

2008, p.57). If students have a positive rapport with their teacher, the student is more

likely to work hard and achieve both for themselves and the teacher. Students want to

please these teachers because these students genuinely care about what their teacher

thinks of them. At-risk students do not perform well without feeling cared for and

respected by their teacher. Teachers set the climate within their classrooms so it is

imperative that teachers foster a positive climate for students to achieve at their highest

levels. This positive climate can only be accomplished if the teacher has a rapport with

their students. This positive climate, set by the teachers’ rapport with their students, can

be a key intervention strategy (Downey, 2008). A study was conducted by Knesting

(2008) at Washington High School and the target sample populations were at-risk

students likely to drop out of school. Students were asked what was the most important

factor in deciding whether or not they would drop out of high school? The number one

response is whether or not the student had at least one caring and committed teacher on

campus that took a special interest in them. “Teachers who sought to understand students’

behavior, believed in students’ ability to succeed, and accepted them “as is” were

especially able to help at-risk students stay in school” (Knesting, 2008, p.5). These caring

teachers believed that all students could learn and refused to give up on any student.

“Rapport affects students’ attitudes about their class, their academic behavior and the

extent of their learning” (Myers, 2009, p.206). When there is a positive student-teacher

rapport the student enjoys the class more, has improved attendance and attention, as well

as increased study time. By forming positive relationships with their students, and never


15

giving up on them, these teachers are able to reach more students and prevent them from

dropping out. After deciding to stay in school these students accepted the help from these

teachers and were able to achieve more academic success in school. The Washington

High School study demonstrates that having a caring mentor teacher is a key intervention

in helping at-risk students (Knesting, 2008). In many schools across America students

are able to blend in or hide and develop anonymity. When these students miss school, or

perform poorly, it is easy for them to go unnoticed. A mentor and caring teacher can

check in on these students daily letting them know they are cared for and will be held

accountable at school. These mentors use positive reinforcements to motivate students to

come to school, perform, and give their best efforts at school. When students have that

one caring adult on campus, which checks in on them regularly, they are more likely to

be successful and achieve in school (DeSocio et. al, 2007). “Positive teacher-student

relationships may set a model for peers to follow in their treatment of each other because

the teacher is demonstrating that all students have value” (Mikami, et al. 2011, p.368). A

study was conducted in one school district in which the schools’ drop out rate was closely

examined (Knesting, 2008). Over 100 students, who dropped out of the comprehensive

high school, were asked why they dropped out of school and why they were more

successful in an alternative educational setting. Students reported that they felt teachers at

the large high school did not have enough time for them and did not care about them.

They reported that the smaller, alternative educational setting allowed for smaller class

sizes, which allowed more one on one time with their teachers. This extra time with their

teachers led to a more caring environment in school and enabled the student to be more

successful (Knesting, 2008). In another study students were asked how important it was


16

to have meaningful student-teacher relationships. Students reported that their teachers

believed in them and their ability to succeed. They made comments like, “My teacher

wants me to graduate,” and “Teachers talk to me about going to college” (Shepard, et al.

2012, p.50). These students appreciated that their caring teachers would intervene before

serious problems occurred. One of the students in this study walked an hour, each way, to

and from school each day. When asked why he/she was willing to spend that much time

walking back and forth from school each day the student replied, “My teacher makes me

want to come back each day” (Shepard, 2012). This statement is quite powerful and

shows the importance and influence a teacher can have in motivating a student to succeed

in school. One cannot underestimate to student-teacher rapport as it relates to student

achievement. Having a caring adult on campus can make all the difference in whether a

student is successful or not.

Student Engagement Strategies

A second successful academic intervention strategy for at-risk students is having

teachers use effective student engagement strategies in class. Years ago teachers tried to

teach students information through lectures, having students read the textbook in class

silently, and then students would go home and work on their homework problems from

their book. Classrooms were quiet except for the occasional student raising their hand

asking a question or the sound of the teacher’s voice as he or she taught or lectured the

class. Many teachers’ experiences were negative about letting students work together in

partners or as a group. These teachers reported that they feared losing control of the class,

higher off-task behavior, and less learning taking place (Coding & Smith, 2008).

Teachers could not hear every conversation between students so it was possible for


17

students to be discussing non-academic issues. As groups of students are spread out

across a classroom the teacher is less likely to hear and stop conflict within a group.

Many teachers simply feel they cannot trust students to work together and stay on-task

throughout the entire period. Teachers reported that students did not have the

communication skills to engage effectively in discussions (Coding & Smith, 2008). One

of the biggest concerns of teachers that do not use student engagement strategies is the

loss of time. Some teachers are fearful that there are too many transitions when groups of

students work together and move throughout the classroom. When students work together

in pairs or groups, and move from station to station in a classroom, teachers who plan

poorly end up having their students waste up to 25% of their time in transitions. This

causes teachers to leave students in one place, their desks, the entire period (Coding &

Smith, 2008). Coding and Smith’s research has proven that those fears and teaching

practices are outdated. Today the most effective teachers use student engagement

strategies in their classrooms specifically using a hands-on approach to teaching and

learning. “At-risk students will forget nearly 70% of what they hear or read in class”

(Honigsfeld & Dunn, 2009, p.221). These students do not read well and have an

extremely difficult time paying attention and are not able to concentrate in class. “These

students often fall behind in school because the primary teacher instruction method is

through lecture and readings” (Honigsfeld & Dunn, 2009, p.221). Many teachers believe

that by using power points, or other forms of advanced technology, at-risk students will

be more likely to understand and learn the material however this is not the case. More

advanced students are visual or auditory learners meaning what they see and hear is the

primary way they learn new material being presented. “Tactual and kinesthetic learners


18

need more than this visual support offers. These learners thrive in a learning environment

where their hands and bodies are engaged with manipulative instructional resources that

allow them to learn on their feet” (Honigsfeld & Dunn, 2009, p.221). Tactual and

kinesthetic activities include students in pairs or groups of three or four working together

to learn, create and demonstrate their understanding of the standards being taught. There

are often stations set up in these classrooms for students to move from one activity to the

next. Students learn, discuss and problem-solve together in partners or as a group. There

is usually a hands-on, or manipulative component, at each station and students must

produce a finished product together. Teachers will often set up these stations in a game-

like situation and use friendly competition as a means of motivation. Cooperative

learning takes place and students work together as they learn together. At-risk students

traditionally will work in isolation and keep to themselves, however, when grouped

together with other students they tend to rise to the level of the groups’ expectations and

perform better. This engagement strategy is highly effective and used in some of the most

successful classrooms whether it be elementary, middle or high school. “Tactual and

kinesthetic instruction works because the learners’ strongest perceptual modalities are in

these areas” (Honigsfeld & Dunn, 2009, p.222). The most effective teachers realize that

engaging students is a critical component in every classroom. Walking into one of these

classrooms you would see the students engaged in the following ways: Students reading

together, taking notes together, discussing the concepts and asking questions of each

other. Students report information to the entire class demonstrating what they learned as a

team or group. Each member of the group would be responsible for reporting parts of the

information learned so that no student could hide and not participate. This raises the


19

students’ level of concern and awareness and is more likely to concentrate knowing their

team is counting on them. “Instructional practices that sensitively engage all students in

the material may also set the stage for positive classroom peer interaction because these

practices send the message that all students are valued” (Mikami et al. 2011, p.368).

Furthermore teachers are able to engage their students, as an entire class, through step-

by-step note taking strategy. Teachers hand out a worksheet and guide the students

through each question one at a time. Students are forced to follow along with the teacher

and fill in the blanks to the worksheet as the teacher instructs and guides students in a

sequential order. “The teacher provides students with a handout containing a map or

outline of the lecture and he or she leaves some critical information blank requiring a

student response” (Haydon et al. 2011, p.226). This is a form of guided note taking and is

an effective engagement strategy used in many classrooms today. Students have no time

to be off task, talk or disrupt the class because doing so would cause them to miss an

answer, not follow along, and the ability to gain credit for the assignment. Guided note

taking is an intense yet powerful strategy that keeps students constantly engaged with the

curriculum the entire class period. “Guided notes are designed to increase student

listening, active participation and covert verbal learning during classroom lectures and

discussions” (Haydon et al. 2011, p.226). Also embedded in student engagement must be

the concept of using problem-solving learning tasks. Often teachers will lecture while

students quietly take notes. The information presented is designed to be memorized and

contain only the basic components to understanding the standard. The goal of student

engagement is important but must be accompanied with deep understanding of the

material. Some suggestions for helping struggling students gain a deeper understanding


20

of the concepts and material being taught are: 1) Focus on complex meaningful problems.

2) Make connections with students out of school experiences and culture. 3) Model

powerful thinking strategies for students. 4) Encourage students to use multiple

approaches to academic tasks. 5) Provide scaffolding. 6) Make dialogue the central

medium for teaching and learning. 7) Teach students questioning skills (Johannesses,

2004, p.639). No matter what techniques and strategies a teacher uses in the classroom it

is clear that students must be actively engaged in order to maximize their learning.

Reflection and Coping Skills

A third successful academic intervention strategy is teaching students to reflect and

develop strategic learning skills so they can improve academically. At-risk students are

notorious for struggling, not knowing how to help themselves, and giving up. The ability

to self-reflect and “figure it out” when learning becomes difficult is known as

Metacognition. “Successful students at all grade levels are self regulated learners who

assess their knowledge and examine their cognitive processes, abilities that become more

important as students move from elementary to middle and high school” (Joseph, 2010,

p.100). The key component here is that students are aware of their own thinking and are

able to problem-solve without becoming frustrated or giving up. This is also known as

building resiliency within students. Most teachers spend their time teaching content,

which is definitely important. However what is more important is spending time teaching

the critical thinking skills needed for independent learning (Joseph, 2010). Many students

feel that if they do not understand an idea or concept the first time, they are likely to

never understand it. Some students feel the new idea or concept is too challenging and

impossible to learn. These students develop a self-defeating attitude and often give up


21

and refuse to seek out help. Teachers need to teach students how to critically think, look

at their own thinking, and problem solve. According to Joseph, there are six techniques or

strategies that a teacher can use to assist students in reflecting on their learning: Giving

realistic advice and encouragement, thinking strategies, reciprocal teaching strategies,

self-assessment, problem-solving activities, and questioning (2010). By teaching learning

and thinking strategies and embedding those strategies into a teacher’s daily routine, at-

risk students are less likely to give up. This critiquing of one’s own thinking is also

known as the academic self-regulation cycle. This cycle has five key components and

when completed the student will have a greater understanding of how to work through

academic difficulties. Step one of the cycle is called self-awareness which translates to

the student asking this question of themselves “What do I think is expected?” Step two is

goal setting or “What am I motivated to do?” Step three is strategy selection or “What do

I think is the best approach?” Step four in the cycle is effective action and “What are the

practical first steps?” The fifth and final step is learning from the experience and “What

will I do next time” (Lizzio & Wilson, 2013). When teachers are able to spend a

significant amount of time teaching their students this academic self-regulation cycle,

students are able to approach failure in a more strategic way. Students often fail

assignments, quizzes, labs, homework and tests. Thinking, understanding, and self-

reflecting on these failures, as to why they occurred and what could prevent these same

failures from happening in the future, are key components and intervention strategies that

should be taught in every classroom. At-risk students who develop a strategic plan for

how to think, figure out, problem-solve, and avoid the same mistakes next time are much

more likely to have success in school (Lizzio & Wilson, 2013). Every student, at every


22

grade level, will no doubt encounter difficult curriculum and struggle at some point.

Teaching students how to deal with academic challenges, and to never give up, is one of

the most important intervention strategies a teacher can instill in their students. Building

resiliency, and the ability to reflect on one’s own learning difficulties, is a key strategy

that teachers should teach all of their students (Lizzio & Wilson, 2013).

Behavior Support Plans

A fourth successful academic intervention strategy addresses students’ behavior issues

and being off-task in the learning environment. One must look at a students’ ability to

cope with adversity, which has a direct correlation on those same students’ behavior and

academic success in school. “Children and adolescents today face a plethora of stressful

problems, including family and relationship conflict, death of close family members or

friends, and academic and social pressures” (Frydenberg et al. 2004, p.117). A support

team comprised of the school psychologist, counselors, and teachers are needed to

provide coping skills for at-risk students. “There is evidence that students are

experiencing more stress than ever before with teenage depression and suicide at an all

time high” (Frydenberg et al. 2004, p.119). These students are mixed into every

classroom, on every campus; therefore, it is critical that schools take a look at creating an

intervention crisis support team. Most would agree that it is extremely difficult to learn,

concentrate and academically perform well when one is in crisis. Teaching coping skills

and how to handle adversity will allow students to overcome obstacles in their lives that

would normally keep them from achieving academically. When students are upset or

distressed they tend to act out behaviorally which prevents them from achieving

academically in the classroom. By implementing a Positive Behavior Support Plan (PBS)


23

schools are able to deal with behavior issues in a proactive, positive way. The system is

usually a two-tiered system. Tier one is provided to all students within a school and is

when classroom teachers teach students school-wide behavior expectations and hold

students accountable for their actions within their classrooms. This tier one intervention

is also known as early intervention and is on-going on a daily basis. “As part of a

multitiered School-wide Positive Behavior Support Plan a school must establish

screening procedures to identify students who are not responding to primary

intervention” (Menzies & Lane, 2011, p.183). Part of the tier two plan is called self-

regulation. In self-regulation a student is taught to think about what they are going to do

behaviorally ahead of time, monitor their execution of their actions, and self reflect as to

whether or not they handled their actions appropriately (Menzies & Lane, 2011). This is

a more intensive and personalized intervention and is used for specific students with

specific behavior issues. In recent years schools have begun to move away from a

reactive approach to student discipline and towards a proactive approach. The reactive

approach to student off-task behavior has traditionally been referral, detention,

suspension and expulsions. The more proactive approach focuses on clarifying

expectations for faculty members, teaching these expectations to the students, allowing

students to practice and demonstrate these expectations, and, most importantly, reinforces

on-task appropriate behavior (Lane, 2007). A recent study by Lane found by using this

approach referrals, suspensions and expulsions declined while attendance and grades

increased positively (2007). Off-task behaviors affect a teachers’ ability to teach and

students’ ability to learn. One study examined the affects of using Group Contingencies

in order to keep students on-task with appropriate behavior. Group Contingencies


24

encourage students to work together and rely on each other for support in the classroom.

Students work as a team to improve targeted behaviors and decide on desired reinforces

when goals are met (Williamson, 2009). In some cases individuals are targeted and in

other cases the entire group is targeted for increased student behavior. One study

examined the use of a point sheet to target, examine and improve student behavior.

Teachers, students and parents were involved in the creation and understanding of the

desired behaviors being monitored and reinforced as well as the consequences involved

for inappropriate behavior (Cancio & Johnson 2013). This study looked at six areas of

student behavior and reward points were issued when students demonstrated the desired

outcome in each area. The areas were; prompt and readiness, appropriate language,

handling of conflict, positive attitude, academic work, and targeted behavior. Students

who scored high in each area showed significant academic achievement gains while off-

task, negative behavior decreased (Cancio & Johnson, 2013). “Within the classroom,

disruptive behaviors impact the learning process, reduce instruction time, and make it

more difficult for students to succeed academically” (Kraemer et al. 2012, p.164).

Teachers must develop their own system for identifying and reinforcing appropriate

student behavior. One study by Kramer examined two types of PBS reward systems for

appropriate student behavior (2012). In the first classroom a teacher used what is known

as the “Mystery Motivator.” Mystery Motivators are unknown rewards that have been

shown to be effective in improving disruptive behaviors. There are predetermined

positive behaviors that have been communicated to the entire class. If a student is

demonstrating a positive behavior the teacher will call on that student to go up to a board

and peel off a sticker from a chart. If behind that sticker is a mystery symbol the student


25

gets to select a mystery prize for his/her positive behavior. “The Mystery Motivator is

considered a PBS because it is a proactive intervention in which appropriate behavior is

defined, supported, and rewarded. It can be implemented for targeted students or an entire

class” (Kraemer et al. 2012, p.165). Kramer also examined another PBS entitled “Get em

on task” (2012). This is a computer-signaling program that helps teacher’s reward their

students using an auditory signaling system. The teacher uses a classroom computer and

when a random signal sounds the teacher will assign points to any student who is on-task

and behaving appropriately. Students are aware that the signaling device, or sound, can

go off at any time so they must be on-task all of the time in order to ensure they receive

points. When a student accumulates enough points for being on task he/she receives a

reward. This can be used for individual students or groups of students. Using these two

types of PBS in a classroom has an 85% success rate. However, 15% of students in

Kramer’s study were in need of a tier-2 intervention (2012). Using intervention strategies

that address off-task behaviors is a key component in helping students achieve

academically. Off-task students often fall behind in class and struggle to retain

information. Teachers must have behavior interventions strategies in place, in their

classrooms, in order to maximize student success.

Conclusion

There are many different levels of students sitting in one class at any given time.

Teachers struggle teaching to such a wide range of students with varying skill sets,

abilities, and behavioral issues. When students do not receive timely intervention

strategies, they struggle, quit and fail. De Socio (2007) Kramer (2012) and Knesting

(2008) claim the best teachers are using multiple intervention strategies to catch students


26

before they fail. Although there are many possible intervention strategies, this literature

review shows that four have significant effects on helping at-risk students achieve. The

first is making sure there is a positive rapport between the teacher and student. When

students feel there is a connection between them and their teacher, and that the teacher

cares about them, the student is more likely to try and succeed in that teachers’ class.

Many times students only receive a lecture, handouts, and reading assignments in class.

The literature shows that a hands-on approach, keeping students engaged during the class

period, increases the chances that those students will grasp and understand the material

better and therefore be more successful (Coding & Smith, 2008). These engagement

strategies are often when students are in pairs, groups, and share the responsibility of

reporting out information to the entire class. Manipulatives are used to keep students on

task, focused, and moving around the classroom. Teaching students to deal with failure

and to reflect on one’s own learning, and coping skills in general, allow students to

handle adversity with a higher degree of success. This, in turn, enables students to push

on and through adversity in the classroom and in their own lives. Finally, many students

have behavioral issues that affect their ability, as well as other students’ abilities, to learn

in school. Teachers who use effective positive behavioral support plans are able to keep

classroom distractions and interruptions to a minimum, which helps students stay

focused, on task and more successful. The literature review uncovers that using any or all

of these four intervention strategies in the classroom have proven to assist struggling

students achieve at a higher rate, understand the material, and be successful in class.

Once I collect all relevant data, and look at the four intervention strategies being used in

each academic success class, I will determine if a possible connection exits between the


27

interventions and student success as measured by attendance rates, discipline referrals,

and number of F’s using a case study to gather key data.


28

Chapter III: Methodology

Research Design Overview

My research was performed using a case study review. I used an explanatory model in

which I explained if a connection could be made between the intervention strategies

being used and student success in school. I collected data from teacher interviews and

student surveys, as well as F grades in three core subjects, and attendance and discipline

rates from the students. I observed 80 students while they worked in the four academic

success classes. I analyzed all data collected to determine if there was a possible

connection or explanation, which tied the data results to the intervention strategies being

used in these four classrooms.

Setting/Participants

The setting for this research took place at a suburban, comprehensive high school with

approximately 3200 students in grades 9-12. The special education population was 10%,

and the low socioeconomic enrollment was 11%. Hispanics made up approximately 34%

of the student population along with 54% white demographics. The research took place

during the normal classroom setting during the school day. Four Academic Success

classes, of approximately 20 students each, were observed during the school day three

times throughout the semester to look for evidence of the four intervention strategies

being implemented. Student surveys were taken during class time and teacher interviews

took place during their prep period, which was also during normal school hours. Data was

collected from the school’s database throughout the weekdays and weekends (as the

assistant principal I had access to this database from home). There were four academic

success teachers who taught one class of academic success throughout the day and I


29

observed these classes during 2nd

period. All students enrolled in the academic success

classes were selected and identified as struggling incoming 9th

graders.

Instruments/Measures

I collected four components of data during my research. These four components were

teacher-student observations; student surveys; teacher interviews; and student discipline,

attendance, and F rates. I surveyed the academic students during the 5th

, 8th

and 11th

week

of the second semester using a Likert Scale in which I asked them 10 questions. I

interviewed each teacher twice during the semester. I collected data from the school’s

database (Infinite Campus) and looked at the students’ grades, attendance, and discipline

rates from both their 8th

and 9th

grade year. In addition to surveying the students, I also

observed each of the four Academic Success classes three times during the second

semester (the 5th

, 8th

and 11th

week of the semester) and recorded my results while

observing. Specifically I was looking for any evidence or occurrences of any of the four

intervention strategies being used in the classroom. When I did observe a strategy being

used I recorded a tally on my observation sheet. I interviewed each of the four academic

success teachers twice during the second semester and these interviews lasted no more

than 10 minutes during their prep period, and teachers were able to “Opt out” of the

interview with no penalty. I used the results of the student surveys, teacher interviews,

class observations, and school database information to determine if the intervention

strategies being used, in the four academic success classes, might be connected to student

success. Student success was measured by all 80 students’ grades, attendance, and

discipline entries from their 8th

grade year and compares that same data to their 9th

grade

year. I will chart the Likert Scale averages from the surveys to determine if the students


30

believe that the Academic Success class, and teacher, are helping them be more

successful in high school compared to their 8th

grade year.

Procedures

-Student surveys.

I administered the student surveys and instructed students to omit their name on their

papers. Teachers were asked to step outside the room while students were taking their

five-minute surveys.

-Teacher interviews.

I interviewed each academic success teacher twice in their classroom, during their prep

period, and during the second semester. This interview took no more than 10 minutes and

was optional for the teacher. I explained to the teachers that the observations, student

surveys, teacher interviews, and data collection were in no way a part of their evaluation

process. Furthermore, I explained the purpose of the research and that it was being

conducted as part of my Masters in Education.

-Student achievement data.

I collected student data, (grades, discipline, and attendance rates) from the students’ 8th

grade year. In addition I collected the same data from the students’ 9th

grade year

specifically from their 9-week, 18-week, and 27-week report cards. This is normal

practice as the school sends out report cards and grades at the 9, 18, 27 and 36-week

marks throughout the school year.

-Classroom observations.

I observed each of the Academic Success classes three times during each semester. I

made a tally mark each time I observed the teacher using one of the four intervention


31

strategies; teacher-student rapport, student engagement, reflection and coping, and

behavior support plans.

Data Processing/Analysis

-Student surveys.

I examined and charted the students’ responses from the 10 question Likert Scale results

from the student surveys. Scores ranged from 0-5 so I considered a score of three to be

above average and a score of above four to be a strong response.

-Teacher interviews.

As I interviewed each teacher I looked for common themes/answers to each of the

interview questions. I compared teacher responses to student survey responses.

-Student achievement data.

I charted and displayed students’ grades, attendance and discipline rates from both 8th

grade and 9th

grade years in order to determine if there was a possible connection

between the strategies being used and students’ success. I considered an increase of 10%

or more as significant for English, math and science.

-Classroom observations.

Having observed the four intervention strategies being used in each academic success

classes, I charted and displayed how many occurrences I saw of each strategy being used

during class. I looked for at least five to ten occurrences, of each strategy being used;

each time I visited a classroom. If I observed less than five occurrences overall I

considered it to be an insignificant strategy and difficult to consider its effectiveness.


32

Once I had all of the necessary data displayed, I determined if it was reasonable to

conclude whether or not a possible connection existed between the four strategies being

used and those students’ success or failure in school.

Ethical Considerations/Limitations

There were unavoidable potential risks conducting this study. First there was a loss of

instructional time each time the five-minute survey was administered in each class.

Although no names were used when surveys were taken, the data was a direct reflection

of 80 specific students from the school. Although teachers were told the information from

their interviews would be confidential and in no way a part of their evaluation, it is

possible that the four teachers felt obligated to participate because I am their direct

supervisor as Assistant Principal. Participants were selected due to their enrollment in

the four Academic Success classes. Data collection and displays were anonymous with

no identifiers being used. Student surveys were optional with an “Opt out” clause as were

the teacher interviews. None of the students selected to opt out. Data collection and

research was not a part of a teachers’ evaluation process in any way. The limitations to

the study and research are many. Although I collected data from 9th

grade academic

success students, I did not compare or collect data from non-academic success 9th

graders. I surveyed the students during the second semester, yet did not survey them from

the first semester. It would have been beneficial to survey students from the beginning of

their 9th

grade year when school was probably the most challenging for them. The same

thought process exists in that teacher interviews, from the first weeks of the first

semester, would have been beneficial. There were many factors that contributed to a

students’ success in school, however, there were too many variables to identify, collect,


33

and chart. Some of the variables not considered in this study were: Teachers’ training and

competence, grade book calibrations with other teachers, scope and sequence, classroom

management, previous learning in lower grades, and hardships in students’ lives. All of

the aforementioned factors could have had a profound impact on student success or

failure in school independently from the four intervention strategies being used. I would

have liked to have been able to observe, survey, interview, and collect more student data

but time did not permit. Chapter four examines attendance rates, grades, discipline and

whether students felt the Academic Success class was helping them or not to be more

successful in school.


34

Chapter IV: Results

Data Presentation & Analysis

Traditionally, 8th

grade struggling students continue to struggle when they move on

into high school and the 9th

grade. These struggling students need timely intervention as

they might begin to fall further and further behind in class. The old educational model of

intervention was to send students to summer school after they failed the class; however,

there are no longer summer school funded in the State of California. The following data

was collected from 80 students who were enrolled in four 9th grade Academic Success

classes because they were identified as academically struggling students coming out of

the 8th

grade. The data collected examines 8th

and 9th

grade comparisons of, attendance

rates, English, math and science grades as well as discipline entries. In addition, students

were surveyed, using a Likert Scale from 1-5, and asked if they felt the Academic

Success class, and teacher, was helping them succeed in school. The Four Academic

Success teachers were interviewed and asked which intervention strategies they used

during class.

Which intervention strategies, being used in four Academic Success classes, help

struggling students to be more successful in school? The following data was collected

from the four Academic Success classes, their 80 students, and their teachers. The 9th

grade data was collected three times over a 27-week period, and was compared to the

same students’ 8th

grade data. The following data, charts, and displays show an increase

in attendance and grades with a decrease in discipline issues. Also displayed are the

opinions of both students and teachers as to the success of the class and strategies being

used.


35

Figure-1 shows that the 80 Academic Success students attended school 84% of the time

during 8th

grade, however, in 9th

grade attended school 95% of the time. This is an 11-

point increase, which equals a 14% increase and is a very large gain for academically

struggling students. Traditionally, struggling students miss school for a variety of reasons

but the main reason they miss school is that they are academically unsuccessful in school

(Honigfeld, 2009). Although other factors contributed to the students’ increased success,

having intervention strategies that help students be more successful in school cause

students to want to attend school more often, which is a possible reason why we see an

increase in attendance for the these students. Students who attend school more often are

present to learn the material and therefore perform better in school (Honigfeld, 2009).


36

Figure-2 shows the 80 academic success students had a dramatic improvement in English

grades from 8th

grade to 9th

grade. A, B, and C grades increased from 8th

to 9th

grade

while both D and F grades decreased during the same time. English A, B, and C grades

improved by 271% while D and F grades decreased by 256% It is reasonable to assume

that the intervention strategies possibly led to higher English grades.


37

Figure-3 shows the 80 academic success students had a dramatic improvement in Math

grades from 8th

grade to 9th


to 9th

grade

while both D and F grades decreased during the same time. Math A, B, and C grades

improved by 208% with D and F grades decreasing by 186%. It is reasonable to infer that

the intervention strategies possibly led to higher math grades.


38

Figure-4 shows the 80 academic success students had a dramatic improvement in Science

grades from 8th

grade to 9th


to 9th

grade

while both D and F grades decreased during the same time. Science A, B, and C grades

improved by 133% while D and F grades decreased by 162%. It is possible that the

intervention strategies led to higher science grades.


39

Figure 5 shows that during their 8th

grade year, over an 18-week period, the 80 Academic

Success students received a total of 161 referrals or discipline entries. These same

students discipline improved dramatically during their 9th

grade year because they only

received 69 referrals during an 18-week period. It is possible, however, that a few

students were receiving the bulk of the referrals that might have skewed the results.


40

Figure-6 is a bar graph which includes the averaged results of a ten question survey that

each of the 80 academic success students took. A Likert Scale was used in which a 1

represented strongly disagree while a 5 represented strongly agree. All ten questions

were asking students about their self-perspective of their outcomes of the Academic

Success class and were written in a positive language. High scores would demonstrate

that students might have felt that the strategies being used in the Academic Success class


41

were helping them be more successful in school. There is no question that the two most

powerful intervention strategies are developing a positive teacher-student rapport and

engaging students throughout the class period. The most positive results were that

students scored at a 4.6 out of 5.0 indicating that students felt they were in trouble less in

9th

grade than in 8th

grade. This confirms figure 5, which clearly shows that students

have fewer discipline referrals in 9th

grade than in 8th

grade. Students scored a 4.5

reporting they had better grades in 9th

grade and figures 2, 3, and 4 confirm this. Students

scored a 3.7 believing they had a positive teacher-student rapport, which supports De

Socio’s (2007) claims. Honigfeld’s work (2009) is confirmed in figure 6 where students

scored a 4.3 reporting a strong use of student engagement strategies in class.

Table-1

Tally of Four Intervention Strategies Used in Four Academic Success Teachers’ Classes

POSITIVE RAPPORT STU ENGAGEMENT REFLECTION/COPING BEHAVIOR SUPPORT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

TEACHER #1 IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII II IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII II IIIII IIIII II

IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII III

27 48 7 12

TEACHER #2 IIIII IIIII IIIII III IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII II IIII

IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII

IIIII II

18 57 2 4

TEACHER #3 IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIII IIIII II

IIIII IIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII

IIIII IIIII

39 60 14 7

TEACHER #4 IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII III IIIII I

IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII

II IIIII IIIII III

62 63 3 6


42

Table-1 was used to tally observations that took place over three separate days in each of

the four Academic Success classrooms. Each observation lasted exactly 30 minutes for

each teacher inside of his or her classroom. All three days observations were recorded as

the total number of tally marks for all four teachers. A tally was marked and recorded

each time the teacher used any type of statement or strategy that would add to a positive

teacher-student rapport. Statements were recorded if they were encouraging, supportive,

positive or complimentary remarks that made a student feel welcomed and/or appreciated

to be in that teachers’ class. The second sets of tallies were used whenever the teachers

used student engagement strategies. When students were working in partners, groups, or

were moving around the classroom working together a tally was recorded as student

engagement. All four teachers had a friendly but firm relationship with their students.

Each student had opportunities to interact with his/her teachers on a regular basis one-on-

one and in groups. The level of conversations allowed for both open discussions on

social, academic, and personal issues related to student success. The positive rapport

included mutual respect between student and teacher as well as class and teacher.

Students were provided opportunities to not simply address their concerns but express

their feelings. The spirit of the classes was “through the efforts of ‘I’, team will show up

to bring success to every student.” The motto of each class was “Nobody is left behind.”

Each class had family qualities that supported, cared, and assisted in daily help with each

other’s needs. The third category of tallies was used when a teacher intervened with a

student privately and encouraged proper behavior by asking the student to reflect and/or

cope with an adverse situation in class. One of the four Academic Success teachers

stated, “I’ve always told my students to come talk to me about anything, including issues


43

with friends, family, teachers, etc. It’s amazing how often they actually take me up on

this offer.” A second academic success teacher reported, “I typically counsel them on

how to be proactive rather than reactive. They have a difficult time seeing two sides of a

situation at this age, so I try to flip the scenario so they can understand the full scope of

their situation.” A third teacher explained, “Regarding the class as a whole, we work on

communication skills during the first week of school and revisit this throughout the year,

but not as often as we probably should.” The fourth and final sets of tallies were recorded

whenever the teacher informed me that he/she was using a student’s behavior support

plan to redirect inappropriate student behavior. The tallies from Table-1 demonstrate that

each teacher used multiple student engagement strategies throughout their lessons as well

as making numerous positive comments to their students. The use of reflection and/or

coping skills was very infrequent throughout all four teachers’ classrooms as figure 6

show students’ lowest scores of a 3.1 in dealing with adversity. There was no question

that teachers used positive teacher-student rapport and engagement strategies quite often

during my observations yet very little coping skills and behavior support plans. This is

also indicated through the student surveys, that the first two strategies were helping while

the second two strategies were not.

Summary/Conclusion

Students struggle in school for many reasons. As students struggle, they fall further

and further behind in school and many end up failing, giving up, or dropping out

completely. At the school where the data was collected there is a 2% drop out rate.

Typically dropout rates range from 1% to 15 % depending on many factors. The school

has a very low drop out rate compared to many other schools throughout the country.


44

Traditionally students who attend this school do not drop out and do graduate. With a

population of 3200 students approximately 64 will drop out over a 4-year period. These

64 students are potentially some of the 80 struggling students examined in this study

because their grades were extremely low entering high school. Teachers need to provide

timely intervention while a student is struggling and not after they have failed. When

looking at the data collected in this study one might infer that specific intervention

strategies can help increase struggling students’ success in school. The four Academic

Success classes had a positive affect on student achievement. The 80 students examined

in this research study had higher attendance rates, improved grades in English, math and

science, and had less discipline entries in 9th

grade where they were receiving the

Academic Success intervention than in 8th

grade where they were not. The four strategies

used were positive student-teacher rapport, student engagement, coping skills, and

positive behavior support plans. When surveyed, as seen in figure 6, students scored the

Academic Success classes, and the teacher, as a 3.7 and were helping them be more

successful in school. When interviewed, teachers explained what interventions they were

using to help their students achieve at a higher rate in school. Educators need to realize

that many students struggle in school for various reasons; however, there are specific

intervention strategies that can be implemented in a classroom in order to help students

become more successful in school. This study identified four effective intervention

strategies, embedded in an Academic Success class that possibly helped struggling

students in school. In the following final chapter I will provide my conclusions and the

data analysis. I will recap my findings, interpretations, and lessons learned and their


45

educational implications. I will finalize the limitations to my research and outline future

directions of additional research.


46

Chapter V: Recommendations/Discussion

For seventeen years I taught science at the high school level and I noticed students

academically falling behind in my class the further the semester progressed. I wasn’t sure

how to teach and reach students who were at different academic levels in my class but I

knew for sure that some type of academic intervention was needed. I needed to provide

timely intervention strategies to help catch up those students who were falling behind.

My research examined an urban high school in which 80 of the most at-risk incoming 9th

graders were grouped into four Academic Success classes for academic support. These

four classes used specific intervention strategies to help students achieve at a higher rate

of academic success. My research examined four specific intervention strategies being

used in each of the four Academic Success classes. The data collected looked at grades,

attendance and discipline entries of the 80 students and compared this student data from

their 8th

grade year (without the Academic Success class) to their 9th

grade year (with the

Academic Success class). The main variable being tested was being enrolled in the

Academic Success class and to determine if the class was helping students academically

achieve with a higher degree of success.

Finding Summary/Interpretations

My research took place at a suburban, comprehensive high school with

approximately 3200 students enrolled in grades 9-12. The special education population

was 10%, and the low socioeconomic enrollment was 11%. Hispanics made up

approximately 34% of the student population along with 54% white demographics. I

looked at 80 students in 8th

grade who were not enrolled in an Academic Success class

and compared those same 80 students to their 9th

grade year when they were enrolled in


47

an Academic Success class. These four Academic Success teachers used four intervention

strategies within their classroom which included a positive teacher-student rapport, the

use of student engagement activities, the teaching of reflection and coping skills, and the

use of behavior support plans. The students in 9th

grade experienced academic and

behavioral results that were overwhelmingly positive compared to their 8th

grade year.

These 80 students’ attendance rates increased from 84% to 95% in just one year. When

students attend school more often they are more likely to be successful because they are

present in class to learn the material (De Socio, 2007). Being present in class allows

students to ask questions, work in teams, and receive extra support from their teacher and

peers. During this same time period students’ grades in English, math and science

improved dramatically. Students increased academically between 133% and 271% during

9th

grade. When comparing student discipline from 8th

grade to 9th

grade there was a

233% decrease in the number of entries. These 80 students received 161 discipline entries

during their 8th

grade year however only received 69 entries during their 9th

grade year. It

is possible, however, that a few students were receiving the bulk of the referrals that

might have skewed the results. De Socio states that students who attend school, are

engaged with the curriculum, and have greater academic success are less likely to be off-

task and in trouble (2007). I believe that when teachers teach students to reflect and cope

with adversity students are less likely to act out in class. When surveyed these 80 students

reported that they had a positive teacher-student-rapport and were constantly engaged

during class time. Students said they tried harder in class and knew their Academic

Success teacher was holding them accountable. Most of the students felt the class and

teacher was helping them achieve at a higher success rate in high school. When asked


48

about their grades, attendance and discipline issues students conveyed that their grades

and attendance had improved while their discipline issues had decreased. The data from

my research and case study shows there is a connection that being enrolled in an

Academic Success class, with academic intervention strategies being used, enables

students to be more successful in school.

Lessons Learned/Educational Implications

Before I conducted my research I knew that students struggled in school for many

reasons. I watched students struggle, fall behind and fail a class only having to re-take the

class again during summer school. I knew there must be a way to help intervene with

these struggling students before they failed and it was too late. After conducting my

research I learned that there are many intervention strategies that teachers can use to help

struggling students succeed before they fail. There is no question that the two most

powerful intervention strategies are developing a positive teacher-student rapport and

engaging students throughout the class period. I learned that students don’t care how

much you know unless they know how much you care. Students are willing to listen, try,

and learn from teachers who show they truly care about their students. In addition, the

days of a teacher standing up in front of the class and lecturing the entire period in a

completely quiet classroom are over. Having students speak, discuss, and work in

partners or teams are the most effective strategies in keeping them engaged and on-task.

All teachers should use a positive behavior reward system to encourage appropriate

behavior in class. This proactive, positive behavior system rewards students for positive

behavior and discourages inappropriate behavior. Students behaving appropriately are

much more likely to engage, learn and stay on-task during class. This, in turn, leads to


49

higher attendance and academic achievement with less discipline issues. All students will

encounter adversity throughout school and in life. When teachers spend time teaching

students how to deal with adversity it allows students to handle problems in a more

positive, proactive manner. Students who are able to deal with adversity are much more

likely to focus on their academics rather than spending too much time being upset about a

situation. After conducting my research I recommend that teachers use the four strategies,

in their classrooms, to help students achieve in school. I recommend that teachers

develop a positive teacher-student rapport in order to have their students work harder in

class. Teachers should use multiple student engagement strategies to keep students

physically and mentally engaged with the curriculum as much as possible. I learned that

these two strategies are the most powerful in helping students achieve academically in

school. Future research should focus on further intervention strategies that help students

before they fail a class. Catching students as they struggle, before they fail, is the ounce

of prevention needed for pound of cure.

Limitations of Research

There were many limitations to my research. I would have liked to follow these 80

students starting from the 6th grade through 9th

grade. I would have liked to compare the

students’ data from their entire 9th

grade year however this report was due in April two

months before school and final grades were issued. It would have been beneficial to

examine students who also struggled in 8th

grade but were not enrolled in the Academic

Success class. I only observed each of the classes three times because of my busy

schedule as an Assistant Principal. I would have liked to have been able to observe each

class ten times during the school year but time did not permit. I did not observe teachers


50

using a behavior support plan often nor did I observe teachers teaching reflection and

coping skills therefore I am not sure how much of an affect these two strategies had on

student achievement. The main problem and limitation to my research is that there are too

many variables to measure that affect student achievement. Some of these variables

include teacher training, previous student learning, family issues and medical issues. The

dynamics and student make up of a classroom is also critical in the overall success of the

students in that class. It is impossible to isolate one or two variables, measure success,

and know for sure if student success was due to the variable. I wish I had been able to test

just one strategy, or variable, but I was not able to do so.

Future Research Directions

My research examined four strategies that appear to be successful in helping students

achieve academically. My suggestion for future research would be to examine the factors

that cause students to struggle and perform poorly in the first place. Understanding how

and why students struggle and fail would be key research in determining effective

strategies that help those students overcome those struggles. There are many factors that

cause students’ hardship and a closer look at those hardships would be helpful.

Researching additional intervention strategies, that help students become more successful

in school, is needed to further assist students academically before they fail. Curriculum

and instruction development should focus not only on the content but concurrently using

effective intervention strategies because not all students learn the material the first time.

Students enter a classroom at different cognitive levels, with varied abilities, and many

are not able to keep pace with a “One size fits all” type of instruction method.


51

Educational research should search for new and effective ways to reach those struggling

students who are consistently falling behind their peers.

Summary/Conclusion

My experiences in education have taught me that students enter today’s’

classrooms at various academic stages. Some students can handle the normal teaching

pace and amount of information while others cannot. Many students who struggle and fall

behind in class end up failing and having to repeat the class in summer school. The key

for educators is to find ways to help struggling students before they fall so far behind that

they give up, stop trying, and fail the class. In my case study I examined 80 students who

were identified as the most academically struggling students entering the 9th

grade. These

80 students were placed into four Academic Success classes where they all received

intervention and support. The four Academic Success teachers used four strategies to

help students become more successful in school. These four intervention strategies were

developing a positive teacher-student rapport, using multiple engagement strategies,

using positive behavior support plans, and teaching reflection and coping skills. It is

assumed that these students were not receiving these intervention strategies during their

8th

grade year therefore I collected data from both their 8th

grade (before intervention) and

9th

grade (after intervention) years. I examined grades in English, math and science,

looked at discipline entries, as well as attendance rates from both years. I surveyed both

students and teachers from the Academic Success classes to include their opinions as to

whether or not the class, and intervention strategies being used, was helping students

become more successful in school. The results of my research indicate that when teachers

use academic intervention strategies, while students are struggling in class, those students


52

are less likely to fail. The 80 students’ grades improved in English, math and science

while these same students’ attendance rates increased and behavioral issues declined.

Both students and teachers reported that the Academic Success classes were helping

students achieve and become more successful in school. Although students enter today’s

classrooms at different academic levels there is no need for them to struggle, stop trying,

and fail a class. The use of successful academic intervention strategies helps struggling

students to be more successful in school.


53

References

Baines, E. Rubie-Davies, C., & Blatchford, P. (2009) Improving pupil group work

interaction and dialogue in primary classrooms: results from a year-long

intervention study. Cambridge Journal of Education, 39(1), 95-117

Cancio, E. J., & Johnson, J. W. (2013). Designing effective class wide motivation

systems for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Preventing School

Failure, 57(1), 49-57.

Codding, R. S., & Smyth, C. A. (2008). Using performance feedback to decrease

classroom transition time and examine collateral effects on academic engagement.

Journal of Educational & Psychological Consultation, 18(4), 325-345

DeSocio, J., VanCura, M., Nelson, L. A., Hewitt, G., Kitzman, H., & Cole, R. (2007).

Engaging truant adolescents: results from a multifaceted intervention pilot.

Preventing School Failure, 51(3), 3-9.

Downey, J. A. (2008). Recommendations for fostering educational resilience in the

classroom. Preventing School Failure, 53(1), 56-64.

Frydenberg, E., Lewis, R., Bugalski, K., Cotta, A., McCarthy, C., Luscombe-Smith, N.,

& Poole, C. (2004). Prevention is better than cure: coping skills training for

adolescents at school. Educational Psychology in Practice, 20(2), 117-134.

Haydon, T., Mancil, G. R., Kroeger, S. D., McLeskey, J., & Lin, W. J. (2011). A review

of the effectiveness of guided notes for students who struggle learning academic

content. Preventing School Failure, 55(4), 226-231.


54

Haydon, T., & Hunter, W. (2011). The effects of two types of teacher questioning on

teacher behavior and student performance: A case study. Education & Treatment

of Children, 34(2), 229-245

Honigsfeld, A., & Dunn, R. (2009). Learning-style responsive approaches for teaching

typically performing and at-risk adolescents. Clearing House, 82(5), 220-224.

Johannessen, L. R. (2004). Helping "struggling" students achieve success. Journal of

Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 47(8), 638-647.

Joseph, N. (2010). Metacognition needed: Teaching middle and high school students to

develop strategic learning skills. Preventing School Failure, 54(2), 99-103.

Knesting, K. (2008). Students at risk for school dropout: Supporting their persistence.

Preventing School Failure, 52(4), 3-10.

Kraemer, E. E., Davies, S. C., Arndt, K. J., & Hunley, S. (2012). A comparison of the

mystery motivator and the “Get Em On Task” interventions for off-task

behaviors. Psychology in the Schools, 49(2), 163-175

Lane, K.L., Wehby, J.H. Robertson, E.J., & Rogers, L.A. (2007). How do different types

of high school students respond to school-wide positive behavior support

programs? Characteristics and responsiveness of teacher-identified students.

Journal of Emotional & Behavioral Disorders, 15(1), 3-20

Lizzio, A., & Wilson, K. (2013). Early intervention to support the academic recovery of

first-year students at risk of non-continuation. Innovations in Education &

Teaching International, 50(2), 109-120.

Menzies, H. M., & Lane, K. L. (2011). Using self-regulation strategies and functional

assessment-based interventions to provide academic and behavioral support to


55

students at risk within three-tiered models of prevention. Preventing School

Failure, 55(4), 181-191.

Meyers, S. A. (2009). Do your students care whether you care about them? College

Teaching, 57(4), 205-210.

Mikami, A. Y., Gregory, A., Allen, J. P., Pianta, R. C., & Lun, J. (2011). Effects of a

teacher professional development intervention on peer relationships in secondary

classrooms. School Psychology Review, 40(3), 367-385.

Murawski, W. W., & Hughes, C. E. (2009). Response to intervention, collaboration, and

co-teaching: A logical combination for successful systemic change. Preventing

School Failure, 53(4), 267-277.

Rieg, S. A. (2007). Classroom assessment strategies: What do students at-risk and

teachers perceive as effective and useful? Journal of Instructional Psychology,

34(4), 214-225.

Shepard, J., Salina, C., Girtz, S., Cox, J., Davenport, N., & Hillard, T. L. (2012). Student

success: Stories that inform high school change. Reclaiming Children & Youth,

21(2), 48-53.

Uvaas, T., & McKevitt, B. C. (2013). Improving transitions to high school: A review of

current research and practice. Preventing School Failure, 57(2), 70-76.

Williamson, B. D., Campbell-Whatley, G. D., & Lo, Y. (2009). Using a random

dependent group contingency to increase on-task behaviors of high school

students with high incidence disabilities. Psychology in the Schools, 46(10), 1074-

1083.


56

ACADEMIC SUCCESS STUDENT SURVEY

**Please note that your participation is voluntary and will in no way be used as

part of your grade in this class. You may “OPT OUT” and not participate if you

choose. ** Do not put your name on this survey.

Thanking you in advance for your honest answers!

Please answer the following questions by circling the numbers 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 at the end of the question.

5-Strongly Agree 4-Somewhat Agree 3. Neutral 2. Somewhat Disagree 1. Strongly Disagree

1. I have a positive rapport with my teacher 5 4 3 2 1

2. I try harder in school because of my teacher 5 4 3 2 1

3. This class allows me to be engaged, talk, work in pairs and move around 5 4 3 2 1

4. My teacher uses multiple strategies when teaching me new material 5 4 3 2 1

5. My teacher recognizes appropriate behavior and holds us accountable 5 4 3 2 1

6. My teacher teaches me to deal with adversity and coping skills 5 4 3 2 1

7. This class is helping me succeed in school 5 4 3 2 1

8. I am earning better grades this year in school than I did last year 5 4 3 2 1

9. I am absent less this year in school than I was last year 5 4 3 2 1

10. I have gotten into less trouble this year in school than last year 5 4 3 2 1

Academic Success Teacher Interview

Dear Academic Success Teacher,

I am conducting educational research at your school. I am interested to know what

your opinions are regarding the interventions and strategies you provide your

students within your academic success class. Your help in answering the following

questions is appreciated and will assist me with my research. Please email back this

form with your answers added to the end of each question. I thank you in advance

for taking the time to answer these questions. **Please note that your participation

is voluntary and will in no way be used as part of the evaluation process. You may

“OPT OUT” at any time.

1. Describe the student-teacher rapport you have with your students.

2. What engagement strategies do you use to maximize student success?

3. What strategies do you use to make sure students are behaving appropriately?

4. Do you teach your students how to deal with adversity? If so please explain.


57

successful academic intervention strategies · successful academic intervention strategies 7 them...

Documents