The prediction of dangerous and/or violent behavior is particularly important to the conduct of the U.S. criminal justice system when it makes decisions about restrictions of personal freedom, such as preventive detention, forensic commitment, parole, and in some states such as Texas, when to permit an execution to proceed of an individual found…

Robin Zapotocky is a first-year teacher in a fifth-grade classroom at Cannaday Elementary in Mesquite ISD, Mesquite TX. She graduated from Baylor University in the gifted and elementary dual certificate program, and first met Carl when she was student teaching in a gifted and talented pullout program for third- and fourth-grade gifted students.…

"The Mentoring Toolkit 2.0: Resources for Developing Programs for Incarcerated Youth" provides information, program descriptions, and links to important resources that can assist juvenile correctional facilities and other organizations to design effective mentoring programs for neglected and delinquent youth, particularly those who are…

Those utilizing the Monarch Institute and its powerful website include educational and mental health professionals looking for training, or employers seeking qualified workers who happen to have neurological differences. Most are students and their parents who are worried and in pain because they have a problem. The young person is not progressing…

The Communities In Schools (CIS) Model of Integrated Student Supports aims to reduce dropout rates by providing students with integrated and tiered support services based on their levels of need. The model includes preventive services that are available to all students (Level 1 services) as well as intensive, targeted, and sustained services…

Inspired by real-life events, this case describes the dilemma of a novice assistant principal who must balance her role as an administrator at her high school campus where a cousin's son, Eddie, recently enrolled and is proving to be disruptive the first month of school. Troubled by questions of ethics and loyalty, the issue is complicated after…

This paper will provide information on a recent Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC) conducted by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network on Using Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice to Improve Foster Care Placement Stability. Information on this particular BSC will be provided, followed by initial findings gathered from an evaluation of…

This article tracks the trajectory and impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the communities of Houston/Harris County, Texas, USA, the schools, children, and families; along with the community partnerships that addressed the trauma and upheaval. Following the influx of individuals and families who were displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita…

For the past 15 years, zero-tolerance policies for violence in schools have been the driving force behind many school discipline policies around the country. But the disciplinary landscape is starting to change in a growing number of schools, especially those in urban districts, where administrators have taken their cues from high-profile reports…

Middle and high school students subjected to harsh school discipline policies and practices such as suspensions and expulsions are more likely to disengage from the classroom and course work, and increases their chances of dropping out, according to this new report from the Alliance for Excellent Education. The report recommends implementing…

This report discusses the issues surrounding the disciplinary alternative education programs (DAEPs) in Texas, its updated findings, and the authors' recommendations on what the state should do to address DAEP problems. DAEPs were supposed to be for criminal offenses--drug-related activities, gun violations and assault--all violations that had…

Coaches and school administrators have been threatened, verbally abused, or physically assaulted in school sports incidents. Threats to coaches arise in a sports atmosphere that many observers say is marked by heightened incivility from the professional ranks on down to inter- scholastic and youth leagues. The demanding, coarser attitudes of…

High school dropouts are a growing concern throughout the United States. So much so that the issue has been included in the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and the No Child Left Behind Act. Some students drop out to help support their families, others are starting their own families as teenagers, while others are experiencing academic problems,…

In 1995, the Texas legislature established a policy that each school district must have an "alternative educational setting for behavioral management." This policy brief examines the ways in which this idea has been implemented in Texas, using data from the Texas Education Agency. Findings show that, for the most part, these alternative…

Discusses the Specialized Treatment and Rehabilitation (STAR) project for juvenile offenders in Montgomery County, Texas, noting the project's unique variation on the boot camp model while meeting the educational needs of the student without removal from the home or school campus. Details program goals, parental responsibilities, induction, daily…