Premack principle, often referred to as Grandma's law, describes how individuals will perform an arduous or undesirable activity if given access to a desirable activity after the completion of the original task. Premack discovered that highly preferred restricted activities in and of themselves can be reinforcing when preceded by activities that…

There have been an increasing number of incidents in which school resource officers (SRO) have been used to manage student disciplinary issues with disastrous results. Court cases brought by parents and advocacy groups claim SROs have traumatized and injured students. This article addresses several critical issues concerning SROs being used to…

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act requires schools to conduct a manifestation determination (MD) meeting when suspending students with disabilities for more than 10 days. The MD procedure is intended to safeguard educational access by providing a process to determine if a student's disability is related to the suspending behavior. An…

There is a longstanding and pressing challenge regarding overuse of exclusionary discipline (e.g., office discipline referrals, suspensions) for students of color and students with disabilities. Moreover, many common efforts to address the problem have not been shown to enhance equity in school discipline. This article describes a promising…

Given that behavioral challenges contribute to learner exclusion in schools, there is a demand for behavior support strategies and practices that (a) extend beyond punitive measures, (b) aid the development of school customs and mores, (c) are based on nonviolence, and (d) promote positive self-discipline. This column explores behavior management…

Michael George's career has focused on children and youth with significant behavior and emotional challenge. His career has spanned experiences as a direct service provider, university professor, and teacher trainer. George has led an effort to provide competent and caring teachers to a population who greatly need such teachers. George shares his…

Minor misbehavior causes frustration for many teachers and can serve as the catalyst for escalating into a public confrontation between student and teacher. This confrontation can be caused by teacher overreaction to minor misbehavior. When teachers take the initiative and predetermine their response to misbehavior, they reduce and possibly…

Disruptive behaviors requiring intervention occur across multiple school systems, including individual students and classrooms. Such behaviors, including talking aloud in class, getting out of one's seat, or more serious behaviors, can be frustrating for other students as well as teachers, who are trying to help students meet ever-increasing…

This article describes the PAR (Preventing, Acting upon, and Resolving) Comprehensive Behavior Management System, a process-based model in which collaborative teams work together to form consensus on a positive and supportive school-wide approach to behavior management. It highlights the content and processes used to introduce and sustain the…

Reviews the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act relating to short-term and long-term suspension. New protections for students with disabilities and the new tools for administrators to be used in addressing behaviors are discussed, including placement of students with disabilities in interim alternative-educational…

Dr. Mitchell Yell, an expert in special-education law, is interviewed on the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that will affect the discipline of students with disabilities. He addresses suspension and expulsion of students with disabilities, the required manifestation determination hearing, and…

Provides a brief review of legal procedures that schools have available under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, and discusses problems with using suspension and expulsion, including recidivism, increased dropout rates, overrepresentation of minorities receiving suspension or expulsion, and indiscriminate…

This article offers educators of classes which include students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with a hierarchical intervention plan that includes unstructured, moderately structured, and highly structured monitoring and instructional intervention strategies including token economy, response cost, multiteacher behavioral contracts,…

Presents guidelines for developing an effective rule management routine, including create rules and procedures based on cooperative and productive learning behavior; identify specific student behaviors for rule compliance; define teacher responsibilities for rule compliance; establish logical consequences; and develop communication links among…

Describes a 10-step process that educators can use when conducting functional assessments and developing Behavioral Intervention Plans required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 for students with disabilities with behavior problems. A case study is provided to illustrate the process. (Author/CR)