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In the United States, the nation's health is not an organic outcome. It is not a coincidence that certain groups of people living in the United States experience higher premature death rates or poorer health outcomes than others. For centuries, racial and ethnic as well as geographic differences in health outcomes have been part of the American landscape, so entrenched in society that many people fail to recognize that health inequities were intentionally derived. A national crisis tends to magnify inequities in our society, but even more alarming is the fact that as the country becomes more racially and ethnically diverse in the coming years, the health inequities are projected to worsen if we do not proactively and immediately address them. As we continue to grapple with the lasting impact of the pandemic, it is of vital importance that we utilize this time to acknowledge, understand, and seriously address the health inequities that have historically plagued the country for over 400 years. As the United States works overtime to stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic, it must also work equally hard to move in a more equitable, inclusive, and healthier direction, not only because of the more than 83 000 Americans dying prematurely each year but also because of the economic and national security toll it will have if not effectively addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-tiered system of supports represents one of the most significant advancements in improving the outcomes of students for whom typical instruction is not effective. While many practices need to be in place to make multi-tiered systems of support effective, accurate implementation of evidence-based practices by individuals at all tiers is critical to obtain student outcomes. Effective strategies to achieve program fidelity are available; however, maintaining program fidelity at the individual level remains elusive. Lessons drawn from medicine indicate strategies to maintain program fidelity should address the implementer. Medical practitioners have used self-monitoring checklists to maintain fidelity with striking results. Research evaluating strategies to maintain program fidelity at the individual level represents an important next step in the field of education. Recommendations for a systematic research agenda focused on self-monitoring checklists are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the longer term effectiveness of a standard protocol, Tier 2 supplemental vocabulary intervention for kindergarten English learners, designed to develop root word vocabulary knowledge and reinforce beginning word reading skills. Participating students in the original study (n = 93 treatment, 92 control) received 20 weeks of small group instruction from paraeducator tutors during kindergarten. After attrition, students (n = 74 treatment, 66 control) were followed up midyear Grade 1 on English measures of proximal and distal vocabulary as well as word reading. At 6 months postintervention, the treatment benefits were maintained on all three outcomes, and furthermore, there was no evidence to suggest that early receptive vocabulary knowledge moderated longer term treatment effects. Results also showed kindergarten intervention year gains in proximal (i.e., root word) vocabulary uniquely predicted midyear Grade 1 distal vocabulary above and beyond kindergarten gains in distal vocabulary. Implications for English learner early intervention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article offers information on a research that analyzes the relationship between multiple sclerosis and intrauterine health of individuals. It is mentioned that hospital discharge-birth records data were examined to study the maternal, paternal and infant characteristics in Washington State. It was observed that maternal smoking presents a possible risk factor for multiple sclerosis in children.

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 purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which two specific elements of fidelity of implementation (i.e., adherence and quality of delivery) enhanced or constrained the effects of a reading intervention for middle school students experiencing reading difficulties. A total of 281 middle school students with reading difficulties received an intensive reading intervention (i.e., Corrective Reading Decoding strand) delivered by trained school staff (n = 21) at three middle schools. Although students receiving the Corrective Reading Decoding strand made statistically significant (p < .001) improvements in their basic reading skills and passage comprehension overall, variations in student gains were found. Overall fidelity of implementation accounted for 22% and 18% of the variance in the gains in basic reading skills and passage comprehension of middle school students with reading difficulties, respectively (p < .05). Two teacher actions, following the lesson format as designed and reteaching lessons when needed, predicted student basic reading and passage comprehension skills above and beyond other teacher actions (p < .05). Results, implications, and limitations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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]

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]

There is growing interest in understanding the factors that influence the academic achievement of students with emotional disturbance (ED). Structural equation modeling was used to test the interrelationships among language skills, externalizing behavior, and academic fluency and their impact on the academic skills of students with ED. Results showed that language skills exerted a significant proximal effect and distal effect on academic skills. The effect of language skills was mediated through academic fluency (path coefficient = .389) but also had a proximal effect on academic skills (path coefficient = .359). However, externalizing behavior failed to have a statistically significant effect on language skills, academic fluency, or academic skills. Overall, fit indices suggested a marginally acceptable fit of the data. Results and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valid and reliable methods of assessing outcome in depression are crucial to antidepressant efficacy studies but are also important for all studies that relate response to other variables. In this paper we review basic issues of reliability and validity associated with outcome measurement. We distinguish between scales or inventories designed for screening or diagnosis and those intended for outcome assessment. We note historical changes in patient selection (e.g. outpatients instead of inpatients, differentiating psychotic and non-psychotic) and how these changes affect commonly used scales such as the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. We examine whether antidepressants with different mechanisms of action are best assessed with similar or different symptoms. And we review studies that have identified 'core' symptoms of depression and compare these findings to the magnitude of individual symptom change we found in five studies of selective serotonergic or nonadrenergic antidepressants. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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]

The purpose of this cross-sectional study, conducted with a random sample of 166 students with emotional disturbance (ED), was to establish, with attention to age and gender differences, the extent to which students with ED served in public school settings experience language skill deficits. This study also examined particular types of problem behaviors related to language skills. Students with ED showed moderate to large language deficits, which appeared to be more pronounced in the expressive language domain. The language deficits of a majority of the students were clinically significant. These language deficits appeared to be relatively stable across age and gender. Furthermore, externalizing behaviors were related to receptive and expressive language skills, whereas internalizing ones were not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a cohesive and intensive preventive prereading intervention on the phonological awareness, word reading, and rapid naming skills of children at risk of emotional disturbance and reading problems. Thirty-six children were assigned randomly to an experimental or comparison condition. Children in the experimental condition received Stepping Stones to Literacy. Stepping Stones includes 25 lessons designed to teach children pivotal prereading skills (e.g., phonological awareness, letter identification). Children in the experimental condition showed statistically significant improvements in their phonological awareness, word reading, and rapid naming skills relative to children in the comparison condition. Effect size estimates indicate that the improvements were moderate to large across all of the phonological awareness, word reading, and rapid naming measures. Treatment nonresponder analyses indicated that a relatively small number of children in the experimental group failed to show satisfactory gains in their phonological awareness (n = 3),word reading (n = 1), and rapid naming (n = 3) skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article systematically reviews the available research on rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) with children and adolescents. Meta-analytic procedures were applied to 19 studies that met inclusion criteria. The overall mean weighted effect of REBT was positive and significant. Weighted zr effect sizes were also computed for five outcome categories: anxiety, disruptive behaviors, irrationality, self-concept, and grade point average. In terms of magnitude, the largest positive mean effect of REBT was on disruptive behaviors. Analyses also revealed the following noteworthy findings: (a) there was no statistical difference between studies identified low or high in internal validity; (b) REBT appeared equally effective for children and adolescents presenting with and without identified problems; (c) nonmental health professionals produced REBT effects of greater magnitude than their mental health counterparts; (d) the longer the duration of REBT sessions, the greater the impact, and (e) children benefited more from REBT than adolescents. The findings are discussed in terms of several important limitations along with suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many positive and negative consequences of high-stakes testing for students with disabilities are alleged. Yet, there is little evidence on actual consequences. Both anecdotal and empirical evidence were reviewed with regard to increased participation in assessment, raised expectations, provision of appropriate assessment accommodations, alignment of individualized education programs (IEPs) to standards and assessments, improved access to general education, improved instruction, changes in promotion and grade advancement decisions, graduation and diploma options, test stress, and improved educational outcomes. Data needed to make judgments about intended and unintended consequences of high-stakes testing are also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study was conducted with a random sample of 155 K-12 students served in public school settings and established the extent to which students with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) experience academic achievement deficits with attention to age and gender differences. In addition, this study examined particular types of problem behaviors related to academic achievement Results indicate that students with E/BD showed large academic achievement deficits across all of the content areas, and the deficits appeared to be stable or worsen in the case of mathematics across age. There appeared to be no gender differences. Additionally, externalizing behaviors were related to reading, mathematics, and written language achievement; whereas, internalizing ones were not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated teacher resistance to real-world school-based consultation services delivered by school psychologists. In 2 analyses, the predictive power of both proximal and distal variables was exam-ined with regard to the reported use of consultation over the course of the 1998--1999 school year by elementary school teachers. In the primary findings, factor analysis of survey items yielded 8 proximal variable factors: School Psychologist Characteristics, Principal Support for Consultation, Personal Teaching Efficacy, Teacher--School Psychologist Similarity, Classroom Management/Discipline Efficacy, Adequacy of Time Availability for Consulting, Opportunity to Reciprocate, and Teacher Consultation Insight. However, stepwise regression of actual reported teacher consultations on the factors revealed they were not significant. In the secondary analysis of distal variables, using stepwise regression, the number of hours the school psychologist is in the building was the only variable to make a significant, albeit small, contribution to the prediction of number of actual reported consultations. Several important methodological and conceptual differences between the present study and the literature on consultation are identified. Implications, study limitations, and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A plethora of research has indicated that emotional disturbance (ED) and language deficits frequently co-occur. Scant research, however, has examined the characteristics of public school students with comorbid ED and language deficits. Furthermore, researchers have not studied children with IQ and language skill discrepancies. The overall purpose of this cross-sectional study conducted with students in grades K through 12 (N = 69) with ED and comorbid language deficits was to detail the academic and social adjustment characteristics of students with an IQ/language skill discrepancy (i.e., a negative standard deviation difference or greater between IQ and total language score). In addition, the types of dimensional behaviors that predict the language skills of these students was explored. Forty-five percent (n = 69) of the original 152 randomly selected students with ED evinced a language deficit. Students with language deficits were likely to exhibit comorbid writ-ten language (46%), reading (41%), and math deficits (31%). Delinquent behavior predicted total and receptive language discrepancy scores of students. Results and limitations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article was to systematically review the available research on learner characteristics that influence the treatment effectiveness of early literacy interventions. Meta-analytic procedures were applied to a total of 30 studies that met the inclusionary and exclusionary criteria. Mean average effect sizes were computed for seven primary learner characteristic categories: (1) rapid naming, (2) alphabetic principle, (3) phonological awareness, (4) problem behavior, (5) memory, (6) IQ, and (7) demographic. The primary learner characteristics that influenced the treatment responsiveness of early literacy interventions were, in order of magnitude, rapid naming, problem behavior, phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, memory, IQ, and demographics. With the exception of the demographic category, the obtained effect sizes for the primary learner characteristics were moderately large. The demographic primary learner characteristic (i.e., disability, ethnicity, grade-level status) of children was not statistically ( p < 0.05) distinct from zero. The findings, limitations, and future research needs are discussed. [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.

Office discipline referrals are one approach that educators could use (a) as a guide in the development and/or selection of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention programs; (b) as an outcome measure with which to assess the effectiveness of those programs; and (c) as an early screening procedure to identify children who might benefit from the secondary and tertiary programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which children who met the borderline and clinical cut-off scores on the Teacher Report Form (TRF; Achenbach, 1991b) received one or more office discipline referrals (the most liberal criteria possible) to determine the levels of false negatives (failure to detect a problem when one exists) that would occur if one used office discipline referrals as an early screening device. The relatively high levels of false negatives suggest that the use of office discipline referrals as an early screening device may fail to identify relatively large numbers of young children in need of interventions and supports. This issue appears to be even more pronounced in the case of students who are experiencing internalizing-related problems. Results, limitations, and future research needs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

The 1997 Individual with Disabilities Education Act Amendments require the use of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and positive behavioral interventions and supports for students with disabilities who are the subject of formal disciplinary actions. FBA has been represented by different terms and associated procedures such as functional analysis, functional assessment, brief functional assessment, and descriptive analysis. However, much of the FBA research has focused on children with severe developmental disorders in clinical settings. In this article, we review the available FBA research conducted with students with high-incidence behavior problems in school settings to examine its utility (i.e., effectiveness), acceptability (i.e., social validity), and practicality (i.e., whether FBA can be conducted by direct service providers in a timely manner). The findings and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines sources of occupational stress for teachers and students having emotional and behavioral disorders. Model of occupational stress ratings; Effects of conditional variables; Result of within-inventory analyses.

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]

Presents a study which examined literature on functional behavioral assessment according to external validity and assessment with regard to its cost-benefits. Role played by functional behavioral assessment in the education of students with disabilities; Methodology; Results.

Editorial. Discusses the persistence of fetal cells in maternal peripheral blood several years after childbirth. Percentage of cord blood samples where maternal cells are found; Occurrence of chimerism in patients who undergo stem cell transplantation; Hypothesis on the involvement of microchimerism in the pathogenesis of some autoimmune diseases.

Discusses how the establishment, teaching and reinforcement of schoolwide rules and routines and systematically responding to disruptive behavior affected the number of formal office disciplinary referrals. Use of a continuous intervention time series design; Positive effects of active planning for and establishing of clear standards throughout the school.

Examines the views of students on behavioral disorders (BD) and looks at the concerns of the current and future outcomes of interpersonal social interactions. Methodology used to conduct the study on students with and without BD; How students with behavioral disorders are distinguished; Comparison between students with and with out BD on negative interpersonal social interactions.

Discusses the results of a study on the responses of rehabilitation counselor education programs to learning disabilities in the United States. Eligibility for vocational rehabilitation services through the state and federal vocational rehabilitation systems; Inclusion of curriculum content on learning disabilities.

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.

Analyzes the effects of a peer-mediated self-evaluation procedure on the recess behavior of students with behavior problems. Facilitation of the generalization of behavioral gains; Differences in the playground behavior of target students and peer partners; Improvements in the recess behavior.

Assesses the effects of learning strategy instruction on the completion of job applications by learning disabled students. Learning strategy instruction condition; Information omissions; Understanding of procedural text.

Offers an evaluation of a school-wide program designed to increase the institutional capacity of elementary schools to educate students who exhibit disruptive or externalizing behavior. School organizational practices; School-wide classroom management intervention; Individual behavioral programs; Advisory board.

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.

Describes a school-wide student management program (SSMP) which seeks to develop a school environment that is both preventive and remedial in nature. Factors essential to the development of the SSMP; Details on the four components of the SSMP program; Conclusion.

Assesses faculty willingness to provide instructional accommodations to students with learning disabilities. Factors associated with the increasing number of support devices; Types of accommodations that could help students access higher education.

In our previous research (Benner, Nelson, Sanders, & Ralston, 2012), elementary schools were randomly assigned to either a primary-level behavior intervention directed at externalizing behavior (treatment, n = 7 schools) or to business-as-usual condition (control, n = 6 schools). A screening procedure was used to identify K through 3-grade students who exhibited externalizing behavior. The results showed that treatment students (h = 44) exhibited lower levels of problem behavior (ES = -0.99) and higher rates of on-task behavior (F.S = 0.61) compared to controls (n = 26). The results also suggested that individual baseline behavior and school context as measured by free and reduced-priced meal rates moderated the findings. Given this latter finding, our interest in the current study was to test whether individual and school aggregate baseline behavior levels moderate students' response to two years of the behavior intervention. Schools originally assigned to treatment continued to implement the intervention during the subsequent academic year; schools in the control condition continued with their business-as-usual behavior management approaches. During the winter of the second year, students who remained in their schools were re-assessed on their behavior (r\ = 35 and n = 19 in treatment and control conditions, respectively). Analyses involving multilevel context modeling showed that students with relatively high initial baseline behavior levels (pretreatment) were more responsive to the intervention if they were in schools with higher school aggregate baseline behavior levels. Conversely, students tended to be less responsive to intervention if they were in schools with lower school aggregate baseline behavior levels. Limitations and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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.

The authors of this article sought to determine how poor peer social relationships are related to children's future depressive behaviors. They used direct observations of disengagement in a peer social setting, a peer nomination measure of peer affiliates, and teacher reports of depressive behaviors during kindergarten and first grade to model risk for depressive behaviors in the third/fourth grades. Dependable and enduring peer affiliations in kindergarten were significantly negatively associated with a multi-informant construct of depressive behaviors at the higher grade for both girls and boys. Disengagement was positively related to depressive behaviors for girls but not for boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As prevention and early intervention opportunities for young children at risk of emotional disturbance (ED) increase, questions regarding the effectiveness of these programs for specific subpopulations of children have emerged. To date, few investigators have examined young children entering early school prevention/intervention programs to determine if clear subpopulations can be identified, and if so, which characteristics are most distinguishing. This study examined the risk factors of 140 kindergarten and first-grade students, identified by teachers as at risk of ED, to determine if distinct profiles exist. Cluster analysis procedures using teacher, child, and parent reports of family, academic, and social/emotional data revealed five distinct clusters: Parent nominated (n = 24), Elevated risks (n = 43), Primarily behavior (n = 25), Primarily academic (n = 27), and False positives (n = 21). Validation techniques revealed that the five clusters were distinguished by clear profiles, which differed across level of severity (i.e., high or low levels of risk per domain) and primary focus of risk (i.e., academic, social/emotional, or familial). Similarities and differences across cluster groups, possible implications for targeted prevention or early intervention programs, study limitations, and directions for future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Topical glyceryl trinitrate therapy has previously demonstrated short-term pain reduction in patients with supraspinatus tendinopathy. HYPOTHESIS: Topical glyceryl trinitrate improves outcome measures in patients with supraspinatus tendinopathy. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled clinical trial; Level of evidence, 1. METHODS: Fifty-three patients (57 shoulders) were recruited, and the authors completed a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial of continuous topical glyceryl trinitrate treatment (1.25 mg/24-h glyceryl trinitrate). RESULTS: The glyceryl trinitrate group had significantly reduced shoulder pain with activity, at night, and at rest at week 24 (P = .03); reduced internal rotation impingement at week 24 (P = .02); increased range of motion in abduction and internal rotation at week 24 (P = .04); and increased force at weeks 12 and 24 with supraspinatus muscle testing (P = .001), external rotation (P = .04), internal rotation (P = .01), adduction (P = .04), and subscapularis pushoff (P = .01). Forty-six percent of patients on glyceryl trinitrate patches were asymptomatic with activities of daily living at 6 months compared with 24% of patients with tendon rehabilitation alone (P = .007, chi(2) analysis). Mean effect size for all outcome measures was 0.26. DISCUSSION: Topical glyceryl trinitrate treatment significantly improved pain scores, range of motion, internal rotation impingement, muscular force, and patient outcomes in patients with supraspinatus tendinopathy. Topical glyceryl trinitrate should be included as part of nonsurgical management of chronic tendinopathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection of implanted medical devices by Gram-positive organisms such as Staphylococcus ssp. is a serious concern in the biomaterial community. In this research the application of low frequency ultrasound to enhance the activity of vancomycin against implanted Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms was examined. Polyethylene disks covered with a biofilm of S. epidermidis were implanted subcutaneously in rabbits on both sides of their spine. The rabbits received systemic vancomycin for the duration of the experiment. Following 24 h of recovery, one disk was insonated for 24 or 48 h while the other was a control. Disks were removed and viable bacteria counted. At 24 h of insonation, there was no difference in viable counts between control and insonated biofilms, while at 48 h of insonation there were statistically fewer viable bacteria in the insonated biofilm. The S. epidermidis biofilms responded favorably to combinations of ultrasound and vancomycin, but longer treatment times are required for this Gram-positive organism than was observed previously for a Gram-negative species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two convergent validity studies of the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS; Epstein & Sharma, 1998), a standardized, norm-referenced instrument for assessing the emotional and behavioral strengths of children, were conducted with primary school-age students. In the first study, the BERS was compared with three social adjustment scales from the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (Walker & Severson, 1990), a multigate screening system for identifying children at risk of behavior problems. In the second study, the BERS was compared with the subscales of the Scale for Assessing Emotional Disturbance (Epstein & Cullinan, 1998), a standardized, norm-referenced scale that assists in the identification of children who qualify for the federal special education category of emotional disturbance. Results indicated that the BERS demonstrated adequate convergent validity. The BERS instrument is recommended for identifying students with special needs, developing strength-based goals and interventions for areas requiring improvement, and evaluating outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]