In recent years, middle school teachers began to take on the additional task of providing mental health support to their students. They diverted from teaching to address disruptive behaviors that occurred in their classrooms. Mental illness and associated behaviors continued to cause growing concerns. The following research study explored the…

This study examined the item and category response option functioning of items on the "Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors" (SRSS-IE), using item response theory (IRT) methods with a sample of 2,122 middle school students. The SRSS-IE is a screening instrument used to identify students who are…

While the long-term societal costs for youth with disruptive behavior disorders are well documented, there is a dearth of information about the comprehensive costs of implementing even the most well-regarded early intervention programs, and the costs of scaling effective interventions are even less well understood. This study estimated the costs…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) have poor school outcomes and serious problems in life after school. Transition services are intended to promote more positive outcomes for these individuals and other students with disabilities. Recent trends in society and education appear to be changing the nature of the current generation…

This study provides a description of caregiver strain in a sample of caregivers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders receiving school-based services. Few studies have examined caregiver strain in school-based samples. Given poor outcomes for these youth, as well as the potentially influential role of caregiver strain in service use…

Teachers who work with students with targeted, co-occurring academic and behavior differences require the knowledge, tools, and support for effective interventions across both domains. This article provides a research-informed, three-step process to support teachers in designing and implementing integrated targeted interventions for mathematics…

There is growing evidence of the efficacy of evidence-based interventions in improving the academic and social outcomes of children who exhibit challenging behaviors during program implementation periods. However, less is known about the extent to which practices learned as part of these interventions are sustained after these projects end, when…

The aim of the present qualitative interview study was to explore how teachers working at an alternative education setting serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) build relationships with their students. In-depth interviews with five instructors resulted in the development of seven interrelated themes concerning the key…

Background: The current literature examining how community violence exposure (CVE) differentially relates to oppositional behaviors and conduct problems, as well as factors that impact this link, is limited. Further research is needed to examine these relationships to understand the etiologies of these disorders and what factors can buffer the…

Using an ABAB withdrawal design, the study evaluated the direct and generalized effects of a combined independent and interdependent group contingency on the engagement and disruptive behavior of two groups of students enrolled in an alternative school serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Class 1 included seven middle school…

Frequent formative assessment of students' functioning, or progress monitoring, is a critical component of multi-tiered systems of support as data inform data-driven decisions about response to treatment. Progress monitoring tools for students' academic and behavioral functioning are readily available and widely researched; however, despite the…

This study employed an A-B-A-B design to examine engagement and active participation among five middle school students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) while using response cards for mathematics instruction. Students with EBD often exhibit off-task behaviors, which limit their engagement with classroom learning. This is of concern as…

Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), this quantitative study examines the impact of reading test scores as it relates to high school completion for American students with emotional behavioral disability characteristics. By analyzing the impact reading test scores have for this population, educational leaders…

Middle schoolers with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) typically have a trajectory of difficult outcomes (e.g., school dropout, incarceration). Growing evidence suggests that the continuum of behavioral competence to challenges is closely linked to students' neurocognitive executive function (EF) capacities, perceived stress…

Students placed in special education programs for emotional and behavioral disorders with emotional disturbance (ED) identification have academic outcomes that lag both students in regular and special education. This issue is especially important for youth attending urban schools. Although prior research has examined students identified as ED,…