Subject: Dissertation

Posted by Clelia Scott on 5/25/2006

Message:

I finished my dissertation (!!!) and thought I would share my project with the group. I based my project on the works on mental models (Senge), stocks and flows (Forrester), and thinking maps (Hyerle). I combined these with Ruby's Payne's works on the "hidden rules" of poverty and Joos and Wood's works on cultural communication/miscommunication.
Although we have a large school (around 900), we reduced our discipline referrals by approximately 70%.
Clelia Scott
Brunswick, GA

Here's an abbreviated abstract of my project.

Developing and Implementing the Application of a Stock-Flow Diagram to Improve Communication

Between At-Risk Students and Teachers at an Elementary School.


This applied dissertation was designed to determine whether the application of a stock-flow diagram would improve communication between elementary students and teachers. The objective would be to enable teachers to communicate behavior expectations (classroom rules) more effectively so that the number of discipline referrals at the school would decrease.


To gather qualitative and quantitative data, the researcher used instruments such as surveys and data from the Student Information Discipline Tracking System database from the researcher's school system. Archival discipline data were used to establish the baseline for an interrupted time-series design. The data were derived from the monthly Student Information Discipline Tracking System Student Summary Reports for 2004‚Äë2005.


During the preplanning session for the 2005-2006 school year, teachers learned how to use a visual tool, a stock-flow diagram, to improve communication with students. Teachers implemented stock-flow diagrams with their students. ITSACORR Version 1.0 software program was utilized to evaluate the impact of a stock-flow diagram's use on the number of discipline referrals. The number of discipline referrals was reduced. Analysis of the data indicated that application of a stock-flow diagram provided an effective format for teachers to communicate behavior expectations.

Follow Ups:

Dissertation - Della Robertson 5/25/2006