Date Approved

4-30-2004

Embargo Period

4-21-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Educational Leadership

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Kern, Robert

Subject(s)

Behavioral assessment of children; Fourth grade (Education); Moral education; School recess breaks

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to determine if Character Education lessons on respect presented to fourth grade students could reduce the number of discipline referral forms and reduce inappropriate behavior during the lunch recess hour. The elementary school selected for this research project was Larchmont Elementary School. Larchmont School is an ethnically and academically diverse school located in South Jersey. The students, who received lessons through Developmental School Counseling Lessons, were in grade four (N=100). The students who participated in lessons consisted of regular education students, special education students, ESL students, as well as gifted and talented students. The researcher had developed and used various instruments to complete the project. Qualitative measures were used to determine program effectiveness including lunch discipline reports, observations, and interviews with teachers and administrators, surveys and anecdotal discussions. The projects illustrates that teaching Character Education lessons to fourth grade students with an added emphasis on respect for eight weeks has the potential to affect student behavior and to decrease discipline referral forms.

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