Write a statement of the problem for the following information.

Chapter 1

Decreasing Behavior Referrals Utilizing Conscious Discipline

The increasing need for effective behavioral management strategies in educational settings has led to exploring various programs aimed at improving student discipline and reducing behavior and office referrals. One such program, Conscious Discipline, has garnered attention for its promise to foster emotional intelligence and self-regulation among students (Bailey, 2015). This research paper aims to examine the impact of the Conscious Discipline program on decreasing office referrals, thereby contributing to a more harmonious and productive educational environment.

Conscious Discipline is a comprehensive, trauma-informed, self-regulation program that integrates social-emotional learning, discipline, and self-regulation. According to Bailey (2015), the program emphasizes safety, connection, and problem-solving as its core principles, which are essential in helping students develop the skills necessary to regulate their emotions and behaviors. By creating a supportive learning environment, Conscious Discipline seeks to address the underlying emotional needs of students, which are often the root causes of disruptive behavior (Hoffman et al., 2016).

The challenges associated with managing student behavior are well-documented, with office referrals being a common consequence of behavioral issues in schools. Office referrals not only disrupt classroom learning but also place a significant burden on school administrative staff (Bradshaw et al., 2010). This study hypothesizes that the implementation of the Conscious Discipline program will notably decrease the number of counseling and office referrals by promoting positive behavioral changes and enhancing students' emotional competencies.

The proposed research will examine the effectiveness of Conscious Discipline. Quantitative data will be collected to measure changes in office referral rates before and after the implementation of the intervention program. At Chickasaw Elementary and Intermediate Schools, PowerSchool data shows that in a quarter, there were 206 office referrals for behavior issues in grades 5-6. This analysis aims to contribute to the body of evidence supporting the efficacy of Conscious Discipline in educational settings.

In the following sections, topics related to the issues discussed above will be addressed. These sections include the purpose of the study, research question(s) and hypothesis, the definition of terms, a brief overview of the study, and a conclusion.

Statement of the Problem

The objective of this research is to investigate whether the implementation of the Conscious Discipline intervention can effectively reduce the number of office behavior referrals. Chickasaw Elementary and Intermediate Schools had 206 office referrals in one quarter in grades 5-6. These types of referrals indicate behaviors that require intervention beyond the classroom's capacity and often signal underlying issues that are not being adequately addressed with traditional disciplinary methods (Bear et al., 2020).

Data and Identification of the Problem

Frequent use of referrals can disrupt student learning, contribute to stigmatization, and ultimatelynegatively impact school climate and student outcomes (Gregory et al., 2017). Furthermore, excessive referrals can strain counseling resources and detract from their primary purpose: providing proactive and developmental support to students. The data in Table 1 shows how many

behavior office referrals were in Grades 5 and 6 for the second quarter of this school year. Grade 5 had 94 office referrals, and Grade 6 had 112 office referrals for the second quarter of this school year.