Students who are identified as having a disability are more likely to experience exclusionary discipline and significant negative student outcomes than students without a disability. Therefore, this study sought to examine the relationship between special education school staff's levels of stress, appraisal of problematic student behavior, and disciplinary action, utilizing a mediation regression and examining the moderating effect of coping approaches on stress and action. This quantitative study utilized stepwise regression analyses to explore the relationship between special educator staff stress, appraisal of student behavior, and coping approaches. A sample of 144 special education school educators and direct care staff across the United States completed self-reported online surveys examining their current stress level at a single time point utilizing the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI) and their overall coping approach measured by the COPE Inventory. Special education staff provided ratings of student behavior described in vignettes utilizing a five-point Likert scale and indicated whether they would address the student behavior to quantify an action score. Findings from the study indicate that: (1) There is a significant relationship between special education staff stress and appraisal of student behavior, (2) Certified classroom and special education teachers employed in the Northeast who are salaried, full-time employees with advanced degrees endorse moderate levels of stress and more likely to engage in problem-focused and/or emotion-focused coping approaches, (3) Special education staff endorsed sources of stress highest for time management and work-related stressors, (4) Special education staff endorsed emotional manifestations of stress and fatigue manifestations higher than other physiological manifestations of stress, (5) Special education staff are more likely to engage in dimensions of coping related to planning, instrumental social support, humor, and emotional social support than other dimensions of coping, (6) Special education staff would likely not respond to most passive-aggressive behaviors and would not respond at all to defiant behaviors, (7) If required to respond to a particular behavior, special education staff indicated that defiant behaviors are more likely to result in the use of exclusionary discipline, (8) There was a statistically significant relationship between special education staff stress and appraisal of student behavior, (9) Behavioral disengagement, humor, and focusing on and venting emotions predicted increased levels of stress, and (10) Fatigue and discipline/motivation predicted increased appraisal of difficult student behavior. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]