The purpose of this study was to synthesize the literature in support of training teachers to use behavior-specific praise, which is a strategy used to reduce students' disruptive and off-task behavior as well as prevent students' problem behaviors from occurring. The results of 28 single-case studies examining the effectiveness of training…

In this era of accountability, evidenced-based practice, and response to intervention, it behooves school social workers to identify and implement theory-informed and research-supported interventions to address school-level struggles that negatively impact school success for at-risk students. To that end, school social workers need to develop the…

This study describes the process by which a statewide support system was developed in Maryland to promote high-quality implementation of a school-wide prevention model called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS (Sugai & Horner, 2006) aims to prevent disruptive behavior problems and promote a positive school climate…

The Check in/Check out (CICO) program was developed as a secondary-level, targeted behavioral intervention in a three-tier preventative model of behavior support and has received empirical support as an effective way to reduce problem behaviors (Hawken & Horner, 2003; March & Horner, 2002). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate,…

The investigators attempted to employ strategies that would attack identified perpetrators of school violence and vandalism existing within schools. Results indicated that the dollar costs of vandalism and frequency of inappropriate student behavior decreased more in experimental than in control schools. (Author)

Interventions that aim to promote social competence, reduce problem behavior, and improve school climate are common at all levels of schooling. This whole-school focus, coupled with researchers' concerns about contamination or spillover effects in evaluations that randomly assign classrooms or students to conditions, as well as advances in…

This guide is intended to help elementary school educators as well as school and district administrators develop and implement effective prevention and intervention strategies that promote positive student behavior. The guide includes five recommendations and indicates the quality of the evidence that supports them: (1) Identify the specifics of…

The purpose of this paper was to review recent drug use, misuse, and abuse incidents among elementary school children in order to emphasize the fact that the drug problem in society has spread rapidly. (Author)

Preventive educational programs are potentially useful in reducing the effects of divorce on children and families. Parenting After Divorce is an ongoing study designed to evaluate preventive programs. Divorcing families with children aged 7-12 are identified from court records and contacted to participate. Families are randomly assigned to one of…

Addresses four questions regarding effective prevention of child psychological maltreatment: (1) What is the nature and scope of the problem? (2) Toward whom should the intervention be directed? (3) In what situations is the problem most likely to be observed? and (4) Which preventive strategies are the most effective? (JBJ)

Drawing upon data collected during an investigation into the exclusion (suspension or expulsion) from school of primary age children due to behavioral problems, this paper provides an overview of findings from empirical research, but also considers the possibilities for prevention of primary school exclusion by using education service-based…

Elementary Options (EO) is a behavior support program in rural southeast Idaho for students in grades K-5 with emotional or behavioral difficulties. Instead of imposing curriculum or classroom strategies, EO works in conjunction with the Department of Health and Welfare to offer a systematic approach to managing problem behaviors with existing…

A major finding from interviews with 25 New York City (New York) poverty-area urban elementary school principals is that they cannot adequately educate children without services to deal with the emotional distress experienced by many students. Teachers need the help and support of trained professionals. (SLD)

A firm commitment to prevention and a caring curriculum are a school's best defense against student violence. Few educators have training for meeting students' psychological needs or techniques for working with angry, frustrated youngsters. If loners' need for recognition is not met, they will eventually act out or withdraw. (MLH)

The purpose of this case study is to highlight the integral role that progress monitoring (PM) plays throughout any Response to Intervention (RTI) process. This example uses a three-level, responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI) method for identifying students with learning difficulties. Using a fictional first-grade classroom as the setting for…