Arguing that research shows that students possessing a number of identifiable social or interpersonal skills function better in school and community settings, this paper proposes that both public and private educational agencies identify relevant social skills for disruptive youth. It further suggests that they provide the training and practice for these behaviors in settings where reinforcement is likely. It describes the operations of a private school for the emotionally handicapped and a similar public school research program. After detailing procedures for developing and validating program objectives, it offers illustrations of methods for specifying the fit between program objectives and student needs. The support systems required for initial training and subsequent maintenance of student learned skills in both the public and private school settings are defined. The report describes evaluation processes from both settings, along with examples of cognitive and behavioral instruments used to ascertain performance change. It cites data that relate changes on student knowledge of behavior principles and show significant differences between experimental and control groups. Less reactive measures (like class grades given by non-program teachers) are also shown to indicate similar treatment group superiority. (Author)