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This article examined the efficacy of a primary-level, standard-protocol behavior intervention for students with externalizing behavioral disorders. Elementary schools were randomly assigned to treatment (behavior intervention) or control (business as usual) conditions, and K -- 3 students were screened for externalizing behavior risk status. The final sample included 7 treatment schools (n = 44 students) and 6 control schools (n = 26 students). Results of multilevel models showed that students with externalizing behavior in the treatment schools had significantly lower levels of problem behavior than those in the control schools. A positive but statistically nonsignificant treatment trend was observed for increased on-task behavior. No effects were observed for academic skills. The positive effects of the behavior intervention were smaller in schools serving higher proportions of students with low socioeconomic status and for students who had higher baseline levels of externalizing behavior. The discussion includes the results, practical importance, and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The findings of a meta-analysis of the effect of reading instruction on the reading skills of students with or at risk of behavioral disorders (BD) are reported. The goal of the synthesis was to extend the work of Coleman and Vaughn by (a) detailing independent variables and outcome measures for each study, (b) including studies sampling from students with or at risk of BD, (c) analyzing study outcomes using average effect size estimates as a common metric, and (d) summarizing literature on reading interventions conducted with students with or at risk of BD over nearly four decades (from 1970 to present). Results of the review suggest that effective literacy instruction has a positive effect on the reading skills of students with or at risk of BD. Limitations and future directions are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within 3-tier behavioral models, universal interventions are expected to prevent the onset of problem behavior in a majority of children altogether and to sustain improvements in child outcomes by the selected and indicated interventions. A cohort longitudinal design was used to assess the extent to which a 3-tier model achieves these expected outcomes. The respective universal, selected, and indicated interventions included Behavior and Academic Support and Enhancement, First Step to Success, and MultiSystemic Therapy. A total of 407 children in Grades K-3 from 1 of 4 longitudinal cohorts participated. The results of 2-level linear growth analyses indicate that the 3-tier behavior model achieved the anticipated outcomes with respect to social behavior. The results, limitations, and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the convergent validity of the parent and teacher versions of the Early Childhood Behavior Problem Screening Scale (ECBPSS) with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF), respectively. Data were collected on a sample of preschool and kindergarten students (n = 149) from two medium-sized cities in the Midwest. Analyses of both the parent and teacher versions of the ECBPSS were correlated with the corresponding Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problem scale scores of the CBCL and the C-TRF. The present findings and future research directions and limitations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results from previous research suggest that there is a relatively small (albeit statistically significant) relationship between the externalizing behavior and academic skills of students with emotional disturbance (ED). Researchers have also found that the majority of these students have language deficits that hinder their academic performance. The purposes of this study were to investigate the mediating role of academic processing speed (i.e., academic fluency) on the relationship between: (a) The externalizing behavior and academic skills of K-12 students with ED; and (b) language skills and academic skills of students with ED. Results indicate that academic processing speed mediated the influence of both language skills and externalizing behavior on academic skills of this population. The findings, limitations, and implications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the academic, social, and behavioral performance of elementary and secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) receiving services in a self-contained school for students with serious behavior problems, with an emphasis on how school adjustment and problem behavior patterns predict academic performance. Results revealed that elementary and secondary group scores were well below the 25th percentile on reading, math, and written expression measures. Further, a seven variable model representing academic, social, and behavioral domains was able to differentiate between age groups explaining 54% of the variance and correctly classifying 78.26% ( n = 18) of the elementary students and 84.21% ( n = 16) of the secondary students. Findings also suggested that behavioral variables (e.g., school adjustment, externalizing, and internalizing) were predictive of broad reading and broad written expression scores, with school adjustment (a protective factor) accounting for the most variance in the three-variable model. Limitations and recommendations for future research are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multinomial stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to establish the most robust set of risk factors that would best predict low basic reading skills (i.e., a standard score less than 85 on the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test--Revised Basic Reading Skills cluster) of kindergarten and first-grade children at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Results showed that among the 11 risk factor domains considered, four were most predictive of low reading skills: demographic characteristics, childhood maladjustment, family functioning, and maternal depression. Within these four domains, the most robust set of individual risk factors were gender, history of psychiatric hospitalization, abusive to animals, and maternal depression. Results, limitations, and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistic regression analyses were used to establish the most robust set of risk factors that would best predict borderline/clinical levels of problem behavior (i.e., a t score at or above 60 on the Child Behavior Checklist Total Problem scale) of kindergarten and first-grade children at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Results showed that among the 11 risk factor domains considered, 5 were most predictive of borderline/clinical levels of problem behavior: externalizing behavior pattern, internalizing behavior pattern, early childhood child maladjustment, family functioning, and maternal depression. Within these 5 domains, the most robust set of individual risk factors were difficult child (i.e., temperament, parent management skills, interaction between temperament and parent management skills), destroys own toys, and maternal depression. Results, limitations, future research, and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of an intensive prereading intervention on the beginning reading skills and social behavior of kindergarten children at risk for behavioral disorders and reading difficulties. Children identified through a systematic screening process were assigned randomly to experimental or nonspecific treatment conditions. Children who received the intensive prereading intervention showed statistically and educationally significant gains in their beginning reading skills relative to their counterparts in the nonspecific treatment condition. In contrast, improvements in teacher ratings of the classroom competence, emotional and behavioral self-control, and self-confidence of children in the experimental and nonspecific treatment conditions were not statistically significant from one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the reading outcomes of children with concomitant emotional and behavior disorders (BD) and phonological processing deficits represents one of the greatest challenges facing educators today. For example, the results from a meta-analysis indicated that problem behavior (Z r =.46) was as important as phonological processing skills in predicting the effectiveness of early literacy interventions (Nelson, Benner, & Gonzalez, 2003). It is clear that children with BD and concomitant phonological processing deficits require intensive early literacy interventions that are delivered at school entry. In this paper, we describe such an intensive early literacy support program that has been validated with young children with BD and phonological processing deficits (Banner, 2003), provide justification for the practical use of this program, and discuss detailed guidelines for the use of this program in an inclusive setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study used random sampling procedures to (a) establish proportions of K-12 students meeting borderline and clinical cut scores on the Teacher Report Form (TRF) of the Child Behavior Checklist, (b) examine age and gender differences in distributions of students meeting borderline or clinical levels of problem behavior, and (c) determine proportions of students displaying comorbid problem behaviors. Overall, our findings indicate that (a) more students met borderline or clinical cut scores on the Total and Externalizing broad band scales than on the Internalizing scale, (b) larger proportions of children met the cut scores on the TRF Total, Externalizing, and Internalizing broad bands and a majority of narrow band scales than adolescents, (c) larger proportions of girls than boys met cut scores on the three broad band and four narrow band scales (i.e., Aggressive Behavior, Withdrawn, Social Problems, Attention Problems), and (d) larger proportions of children exhibited clinical levels of comorbidity on the TRF broad and narrow bands than adolescents. The results, limitations, and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which reviewed the available research on administrative discipline contacts to identify the domain and participant classification variables used for managing and monitoring student problem behavior. Methods used; Factors influencing administrative discipline contacts; Relationship between participant classification variables and administrative discipline contacts; Validity of administrative discipline contacts.

This article offers an evaluation of a comprehensive school-wide program based on an effective behavioral support approach for preventing disruptive behaviors. The program consists of five main elements—a school-wide discipline program, one-to-one tutoring in reading, conflict resolution, a video-based family management program, and an individualized, function-based behavior intervention plan—that were developed through a consensus-building participatory process. Seven elementary schools in one district were studied for 2 years. Comparisons with the district's remaining 28 elementary schools indicated strong positive effects on the number of formal disciplinary actions and academic performance of schools. In addition, comparisons between target students (those who exhibited disruptive behaviors) and criterion students (those who did not exhibit disruptive behaviors) indicated positive effects on the social adjustment and academic performance of the target students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article systematically reviews the available research on the prevalence, strength, durability, and nature of language deficits in children formally identified with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD).After applying inclusionary and exclusionary criteria, we reviewed 26 studies. Approximately three out of four children (71%) formally identified with EBD experienced clinically significant language deficits and approximately one out of two (57%) children with diagnosed language deficits also were identified with EBD. These deficits appeared to be broad-based in that they included pragmatic, receptive, and expressive language deficits.The results from longitudinal studies suggested that the rate of comorbidity between language deficits and EBD tends to either be stable or to increase over time. In addition, prevalence rates varied across studies, depending on the placement of children sampled, the stringency of the criteria for determining language deficit, and the number of language measures used. The findings and future research needs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a 3-year study designed to detail the ongoing reciprocal sequence of interactions between teachers and students around disruptive behaviors in general education classrooms. The ongoing reciprocal interactions of teachers and 99 target students (i.e., those who exhibited high rates and/or severe forms of disruptive behavior) and 278 criterion students (i.e., those who did not exhibit disruptive behaviors or other behavioral adjustment problems) regarding disruptive behaviors were observed in general education classrooms. The results revealed that there were no differences in the relative occurrences of disruptive behaviors of target and criterion students across a wide range of ecological contexts. In addition, the disruptive behaviors of target students appeared to be somewhat unstoppable relative to criterion students, and the ongoing reciprocal interaction behaviors of both teachers and students remained constant over time. Teachers, however, were more likely to respond negatively to the disruptive behaviors of target students than to those of criterion students. The results and their implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandate that schools evaluate, through the process of a functional behavioral assessment, those students with disabilities who are exhibiting significant behavior problems which may lead to suspension and expulsion. We conducted a statewide survey of special education administrators and school psychologists to examine their views of the relative effectiveness, usability, suitability, and practicability of functional behavioral assessment procedures for two types of problem behaviors (i.e., low-level chronic or low frequency unique problem behaviors). The results suggest that special education administrators and school psychologists are generally supportive of the use of functional behavioral assessments for a range of problem behaviors. However, administrators and psychologists are uncertain of whether such assessments would be acceptable for unique low-frequency problem behaviors that lead to suspension and expulsion such as violations of firearms and drug policies. Additionally, special education administrators and school psychologists indicated that educators might be unaware of and unwilling to conduct functional behavioral assessments. Implications for practice and future research needs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on disruptive forms of behavior of students at schools in the United States. Details on a multilevel discipline program suitable for disruptive students; Information on a school-wide intervention approach designed to prevent disruptive behavior from developing; Challenges teacher face when working with disruptive students. INSETS: An implementation committee that works;Resources on wraparound services.

Conducts a comparative analysis of the effects of direct instruction, cooperative learning, and independent learning instructional practices on the classroom behavior of students with behavior disorders in the United States. Aversive stimuli in educational environments explored; Instructional approaches used; Occurrence of non-task behavior; Teacher training.

The article discusses the need to address the probable reading deficits of secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in middle and high schools. It offers research-based and practical suggestions for secondary teachers who are faced with educating students with EBD. Reading skills of secondary students with EBD are described.

In an effort to address the problem behaviors of children and youth, professionals have advocated for the implementation of three-tiered prevention programs: primary, secondary, and tertiary. The wraparound approach has been advanced as an appropriate tertiary program that can be used to address the complex behaviors and needs of students and their families. Although researchers have explored adherence to the basic tenets of the wraparound approach when community mental health settings serve as the entry point, it appears that there is virtually no description or information on adherence when schools serve as the entry point. The purpose of this study was to examine adherence to the basic tenets of the wraparound approach when the school serves as the entry point. Results from 112 observations identified some strengths and weaknesses in the adherence to the basic tenets of the wraparound approach when school serves as the entry point. Limitations, future research needs, and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]