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Title
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Building Resilience: The Impact of Positive Reinforcement on Students with ACE’s
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Creator
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Cari Rogers
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Degree Name
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Master of Arts in Teaching (initial licensure)
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Project Type
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action_research_project
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Date
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6/12/2026
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Abstract
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This action research study examines how a trauma-informed positive reinforcement system, specifically a punch card intervention, affected attendance, motivation, and behavioral engagement among junior and senior health students with histories of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) at Cascade Ridge High School in Salem, Oregon. Grounded in trauma theory, neurodevelopmental science, and culturally responsive pedagogy, the intervention was built around predictable structure, relational trust, and consistent recognition of student effort.
Three key findings emerged: attendance improved dramatically, with fifteen students fully completing their punch cards; student interviews revealed that feeling noticed and valued mattered more to participants than the reward itself; and behavioral disruptions showed modest but meaningful improvement for a subset of students. The study concludes that positive reinforcement is most effective not as a standalone behavior management tool, but as part of a broader trauma-informed approach where consistency, genuine relationships, and emotional safety form the foundation of student engagement and success.
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Keywords
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Adverse Childhood Experiences
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Positive Reinforcement
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Committee Member
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Marcus Wenzel
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Wendy Kirsch
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Rights
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Western Oregon University Library has determined, as of 07/27/2026, this item is in copyright, which is held by the author. Users may use the item in accordance with copyright limitations and exceptions, including fair use. For other uses, please ask permission from the author.
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https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en
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Language
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eng
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Type
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text
