Reducing disproportionality in school discipline is a grand challenge for school social work. Although the causes of disproportionality in exclusionary school discipline are interrelated and complex, one solution is to introduce alternatives to suspensions and expulsions that discipline students while keeping them engaged in school. The teen court…

The occurrence of behaviors that require disciplinary action will always be an issue without programs to support the social and emotional development of students at a young and critical age. The problem school districts face is how to appropriately and effectively provide consequences to different targeted age groups, based on their social and…

Students need a safe and supportive school environment to maximize their academic and social-emotional learning potential. A school's discipline policies and practices directly impact school climate and student achievement. Together, discipline policies and positive school climate efforts can reinforce behavioral expectations and ensure student…

This article presents Culturally Responsive Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (CRPBIS), the first framework to operationalize cultural responsiveness in the context of positive behavioral interventions and supports in the United States (Bal 2011). To develop the CRPBIS framework, the author first conducted a systematic review of…

With the increase in school violence on campuses all over the country and the increased media attention that these incidents receive. The amount of pressure on school leaders to develop and implement interventions for students is mounting from all angles. Politicians, parents, students, advocates and others have been extremely vocal in their…

The purpose of the current study was to assess the effects of an alternative to suspension intervention on students' subsequent major referrals. The intervention included activities designed to teach social coping strategies as well as mediation to resolve interpersonal conflicts. The intervention was implemented in a therapeutic high school, and…

This article explores Namibian cooperating partners' perceptions of receiving pre-service teachers on international practicums. The article focuses on what they perceive as the main benefits and challenges of receiving the pre-service teachers and the potential for developing intercultural competence and global awareness through such arrangements.…

StudentU is a comprehensive program that provides education, nutrition, and social support services to disadvantaged middle and high school students outside of the regular school day. In this paper I investigate the effects of this multiyear program on the early high school outcomes of participating students by exploiting data from oversubscribed…

After being identified as a school in need of improvement, one struggling inner city high school implemented an evening school alternative program to reduce their suspension, failure, and dropout rates. In its first year, the program graduated 100% of the student participants, all of whom were in danger of dropping out, or being kicked out of high…

In the My Teaching Partner (MTP) program, coaches engage teachers in 6 to 9 coaching cycles across a school year. Guided by the program's theory, coaches help teachers reflect on the emotional, organizational, and instructional features of classrooms. MTP was originally developed for pre-K and early elementary classrooms (MTP Pre-K), but this…

Parent training has been shown to be an important means of supporting families living with autism--but such services are not universally accessible. A multinational project funded by the European Commission has been developed in order to establish such parent training in three south-eastern European countries. To ensure that the training was…

We examine the effects of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District's (CMSD) districtwide efforts to improve school safety, order, and conditions for learning. These approaches include implementing (1) a social and emotional learning program for elementary students (PATHS); (2) a planning model for students exhibiting academic or nonacademic…

The University at Buffalo School of Social Work established the VISA Center (the acronym stands for "vision, integrity, service, and accountability") in collaboration with the school district of Buffalo, New York. With funding from the New York State Education Department, a university on-campus center was set up to serve 30 students at a…

Equine-facilitated prison programs have become more prevalent and operate in correctional facilities in 13 states throughout the United States. However, there is a deficit of empirical knowledge to guide them. This article reviews 19 studies of prison-based animal programs and centers on patterns in the literature. It reveals how previous studies…

Racial inequity is a pernicious problem in American schools. Discrepancies in school discipline show that black students are two to three times more likely than their peers to be suspended and expelled, even for similar infractions. This directly affects the racial achievement gap, school dropout, and involvement in the juvenile justice system.…