Students with or at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders pose an immense challenge for educators, and typical practices to address them are punitive and exclusionary, leading to poor academic and social outcomes for students. To address the complex needs of students with intensive emotional and behavioral needs, evidence-based practices and…

Dr. Jeffrey Sprague is a professor of special education and the director of the University of Oregon Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior. He directs research and demonstration projects related to positive supports and youth violence prevention.

In the face of dwindling financial resources, educational leaders are looking to refine resource allocation while maintaining a focus on improved student outcomes. This article presents initial findings from a professional development state initiative called Effective Behavioral and Instructional Support Systems (EBISS). The EBISS initiative aims…

This survey relating to 184 Oregon students with severe intellectual disabilities and severe problem behaviors found that major extra educational support was in the form of additional teaching assistants. Ninety percent of students spent some portion of each school day socially integrated. Over 40% received community-based instruction. (Author/JDD)