The articles in this Special Topic issue present a range of assessment models and challenges for improving the identification and early intervention of students in need of additional supports. Although each article targets a unique aspect of student learning (learning behaviors, math skills, reading comprehension, behavioral functioning, and…

This invited commentary includes observations about the article "Building Local Capacity for Training and Coaching Data-Based Problem Solving with Positive Behavior Interventions and Support Teams," published in the July 2011 issue of the "Journal of Applied School Psychology." In this article Newton and colleagues present an interesting field…

Frustrated by her ninth graders' misbehavior with a substitute teacher, a high school English teacher shelved her recriminations and engaged miscreants in a problem-solving exercise examining the incident. Establishing a protocol to talk about problems openly, without fear of retribution, made a big difference. Boys admitted to some poor choices;…

In this article, the author responds to a teacher's request for advice on how to handle a child in her class who keeps on shoving and bopping other children, sometimes hitting them on the head with hard objects. The author offers support and suggestions on how to help children who use negative behavior to communicate their wants and needs. She…

Considers the school counselor's role as consultant. Describes step-by-step procedure for the stage of problem clarification and identification for behavioral consultants. Assumes that each problem may be defined in varied ways and that problem definition is not considered useful unless it is accepted as such by both the teacher (consultee) and…

This article discusses the author's experiences with the reflective discipline approach. It concludes that for the author, using this system dramatically reduced classroom discipline problems and acting out no longer garners an amused audience of peers. Finally, and the author finds, perhaps most importantly, this solution teaches children to…

Aspects of W. Glasser's Control Theory are applied to the education of behaviorally disordered students. It is believed that stimulus/response theory and tools are inadequate with this population and that the stress should be on understanding internal motivating forces. The caring classroom, an approach which emphasizes ways to meet both the…

Incorporating statistical process control (SPC) methods into applied behavior analysis is discussed. It is claimed that SPC methods would likely reduce applied behavior analysts' intimate contacts with problems and would likely yield poor treatment and research decisions. Cases and data presented by Pfadt and Wheeler (1995) are cited as examples.…

A model of in-service teacher training was designed to facilitate staff receptivity, and to help redirect teachers away from a problem view of students' behaviors and towards a solution-focused perspective. The model helps orient teachers to an ecological view of students' problem behaviors. The solution-focused perspective means teachers approach…

In inclusive schools, teachers must adjust classroom behavior management concepts to new classroom situations of learning and discipline. Collaboration with administrators and other staff members provides teachers with additional ideas and resources. The paper discusses why collaboration fails, why it is difficult, and necessary components for…

This paper examines the use of corporal punishment in public schools. It presents a brief history of corporal-punishment practices and explains why corporal punishment remains a legal means of control in the schools of 23 states in the United States. Opponents of corporal punishment argue that it should be abolished from schools because it models…

This paper discusses linkages between play, healthy social and emotional development, and behavior management in young children. Play is defined as pleasurable, self-motivated, non-goal-directed, and spontaneous behavior, free from adult-imposed rules. Many children have limited time available for play because they are directed by adults in day…

The choice theory holds that people can control only their own behavior, and that all people need a sense of belonging, freedom, power, and fun. This article argues that teachers must recognize that these needs motivate student behavior, and describes how a middle school turned its discipline and achievement problems around by using choice theory.…

The second of two volumes, this book contains 21 studies of children and families. Selections, grouped into three sections, are intended to provide a representative sample of current research, including case studies and less formal reports. The first section reports on families in distress. Articles focus on adults who were antisocial children,…