U.S. social programs, set up to address important problems, often fall short by funding specific models/strategies ("interventions") that are not effective. When evaluated in scientifically-rigorous studies, social interventions in K-12 education, job training, crime prevention, and other areas are frequently found ineffective or…

In this study, the authors examined the racial and gender gap in the academic development of African American and White children from kindergarten to 5th grade. Their main goal was to determine the extent to which social and behavioral factors, including learning-related skills, problem behaviors, and interpersonal skills, explain these gaps and…

To counter student misbehavior and restore dignity to commencement exercises, this article details some basic guidelines concerning scheduling, student dress, and student behavior development at Hoffman Estates (Illinois) High School. Graduating students were assigned to teacher chaperones and were given specific behavior expectations. (MLH)

Discipline strategies must incorporate the learning and behavior of each child with the desired outcomes if they are to correct maladaptive behaviors. Suspension should be based on the student's best educational interests; conducted in a manner that teaches the student more appropriate behaviors; supported by empirical research; and used as a last…

This article presents a dozen common classroom management mistakes that teachers make, followed by suggestions as to what we should do instead. The mistakes presented are committed frequently at many grade levels and in all types of learning environments. The recommended suggestions are relatively easy to implement and useful for all types of…

This paper focuses on the ways in which a selected group of early childhood teachers in grades one and two, located in a predominantly white middle-class context in Durban, South Africa ascribe meaning to young boys they teach. The study finds that early childhood teachers are bearers of masculinity and incorporate taken-for-granted assumptions of…

Keeping schools safe and productive is an increasing concern for educators everywhere. This research focused on how one elementary school in West Fargo, North Dakota, implemented a school wide discipline approach to help decrease negative student behaviors. The researcher compared and contrasted three different discipline models. The researcher…

"MCPS School Safety and Security at a Glance" provides, in a single document, information about the reporting of incidents related to school safety and security, school climate, local school safety program descriptions, and serious incidents in all Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools. The information is presented for each school.…

Problem-solving approaches incorporating interventions at multiple levels have gained in popularity in recent years. One such model, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), was developed to assist schools to more effectively promote positive student behavior through a systematic and recursive approach to developing and assessing…

Partnerships between professionals and parents of children with disabilities can be valuable ingredients in efforts to design and implement strategies of intervention and support. In this article, we provide a rationale in support of parent-professional partnerships and describe research and programmes that exemplify such partnership practices. We…

Donna Whyte presents specific strategies for addressing classroom management problems, and she doesn't shy away from tough issues such as bullying, lying, and stealing. Her focus is on an even greater challenge, teaching children the skills they need to control their own behavior. Whyte offers humor, perspective, and insight as she shares her own…

Concern about responding to behavior problems and promoting social and emotional learning are related and are embedded into the arenas we frame to encompass the content of student/learning supports. How these concerns are addressed is critical to the type of school and classroom climate that emerges and to student engagement and re-engagement in…

Early childhood programs are becoming increasingly inclusive. What strategies can teachers use to address challenging behaviors? This article demonstrates how DAP and PBS can be blended so teachers can help children learn more positive behaviors.

This study investigated the effects of the peer social context and child characteristics on the growth of authority-acceptance behavior problems across first, second, and third grades, using data from the normative sample of the Fast Track Project. Three hundred sixty-eight European American and African American boys and girls (51% male; 46%…

This article features Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a systems-based method for improving student behavior. PBIS was developed at the University of Oregon and has been shown to work at all grade levels and be effective in districts with greater concentrations of poverty and higher percentages of "at-risk" students. It has…