A wide and rich body of literature has identified the family as the key context influencing children's development. In response, school districts and policymakers have sought to engage parents in children's learning, particularly low-income families. Meta-analyses conclude that efforts to engage low-income parents do improve students' academic…

Acting out behaviors is a hindrance to learning across the country. The school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) model is a behaviorally-based systems approach to addressing problem behaviors in our school today. The problem this study is designed to address is the issue that student misbehaviors and disruptions cause a loss of valuable…

We present a dynamic systems perspective for the intensification of interventions for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). With this framework, we suggest behavior involves the contributions of multiple factors and reflects the interplay between the characteristics of the student and the ecologies in which he or she is embedded.…

In this two-year ethnographic case study, I critically examine educators' relationships with students considered to present challenging behaviours in one classroom located in a predominantly White, middle-class school district. Focusing on the language and practices used by one special education teacher and three teaching assistants, I explore how…

Experienced special education teachers (n = 62) were surveyed on their professional preparation to become effective classroom managers. Despite having received extensive preservice training, over 83% of the sample reported being underprepared in classroom management and behavioral interventions. No statistically significant difference was found…

Instructional choice is a low-intensity strategy that requires little preparation, is easy to implement, and supports content instruction in the classroom. In this study we explored the effectiveness of two types of instructional choice--across-task and within-task choices--implemented classwide during writing instruction by classroom teachers…

Behavioural problems are commonly experienced in schools. This contributes to poor academic results and general disciplinary problems, among other things. It is argued that punitive disciplinary methods are aggravating unacceptable behaviours. This paper presents information about the use of punishment, how children react to these measures, and…

The number of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is rapidly increasing, and there is a struggle within our educational system to meet the needs of these students. While there is a growing awareness among general classroom teachers about strategies that can be implemented to ensure positive gains for students with ASD, there is still a…

School refusal behavior is a psychosocial problem for students characterized by severe emotional distress and anxiety at the prospect of going to school, leading to difficulties in attending school and, in some cases, significant absences from school (Kahn, Nursten, & Carroll, 1981). In addition to severe emotional upset, researchers have…

For this study, we collected classroom behavioral data for three children with autism relative to daily meteorological conditions. Meteorological data, including barometric pressure, humidity, outdoor temperature, and moon illumination, were obtained from the National Weather Service. Relationships between children's individual target behaviors…

Preschool children may exhibit a range of problematic behaviors that may impede development and disrupt classroom functioning. As a result, preschool children are often expelled from programs when behavioral issues cannot be adequately addressed. Preschool behavioral consultation serves as a promising alternative to expulsion, as consultants can…

Sometimes children are stressed about seemingly small events that escalate into problem behavior. In this article, an insightful teacher discusses restoration of emotional balance by mobilizing positive support from both school and family using A Response Ability Pathways (RAP) intervention. The RAP techniques and how they can be used are…

Punitive discipline strategies based on removal of students from the classroom may prevent the creation of effective and safe learning environments. Research indicates that punishment has traditionally been viewed as preventative, serving as a means of controlling unacceptable behavior. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to…

Class-wide interventions such as the Mystery Motivator are an easy and effective way to remediate problematic behavior in the classroom and increase the level of classroom management. Multiple procedural variations to the Mystery Motivator intervention have successfully changed student behavior, but a systematic comparison of two procedural…

As schools develop inclusive practices to maximize student placement in their least restrictive environment (Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 2004), students with problem behavior are increasingly educated in general education settings. As a result, general and special education teachers must be prepared to work with students with…