The impact of a school-wide discipline program entitled the 'Honor Level System' supported by a primary prevention measure entitled 'The Wildcat Way' on school culture and school climate.

摘要

This mixed method survey research measured the impact of school-wide discipline program entitled the "Honor Level System" supported by a primary prevention measure entitled "The Wildcat Way" on school culture and school climate. School's culture is defined as "how things are done in an organization" and school's climate is defined as "how people "feel" in an organization." An individual's behavior and moral values are shaped by the interactions with the immediate environment. Reward and consequence impact the repetition of desired behaviors and the termination of undesired behaviors. The Honor Level System is developed based on Kohlberg's Morale Development Theory. The primary prevention support The Wildcat Way is developed based on the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) and the Choice Theory, which is developed as an extension to the Moral Development theory. This study is the first to directly measure the impact of the Honor Level System adjunct with the primary prevention support The Wildcat Way.;Given the research purpose, the research approach is an interactive program evaluation. This study utilizes a non-experimental design to establish causality. The researcher used a longitudinal research design (Engel & Schutt, 2005). This study solicited students and teachers perceptions, opinion, and attitude about the impact of the Honor Level System supported by The Wildcat Way on school culture and climate through their personal experience, feelings, and beliefs using a paper survey and confirmatory students' focus groups and teachers' interviews. In addition, this study analyzed students' academic achievement (GPA and WKCE scores), attendance and office referrals.;The results were analyzed by descriptive, inferential, parametric and non-parametric, and correlation data analysis using grade, gender, and race. There were no significant differences between students or teachers responses by grade, gender, or race in the area of school culture and school climate. On the other hand, eighth grade students had higher academic achievement and lower office referrals than seventh grade students. There was a strong direct correlation between discipline program and school culture and climate. Overall, students had higher academic achievement, higher attendance rate, and lower discipline issues in 2008--2009 school year compared to the past year. Therefore, the use of the Honor Level System as school-wide discipline program supported might have had a positive impact on school culture and school climate.;The findings of this study confirmed the previous research findings reviewed in the literature review describing positive school culture and climate. The nature of the program was a research-based program built on a strong theoretical framework. It was difficult to clearly separate school culture from school climate. Multiple factors impact both school culture and climate because at the same time positive school culture leads to a positive school climate and visa versa. Schools need both positive school culture and climate in order to impact academic achievement, attendance, and students' and teachers' perception of the school. At the research site, the discipline program has a statement purpose, and clearly defined expectations through The Wildcat Way. The students are given a framework describing the three R's (Be Ready, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful). The school administration invests the time to establish and build a strong support system within the school and within the school district.