The study compared effects of varying sets of instructions on teacher (N=376) and mental health professional (N=178) ratings of student problem behaviors. A statistically significant difference between teachers and mental health workers emerged, though main effects for instructions were not statistically different. Teachers were more consistent in…

Six behavior rating scales used with children with problematic behaviors were reviewed for psychometric soundness of reliability and validity. They are: Behavior Dimensions Rating Scale; Behavior Evaluation Scale; Child Behavior Checklist, Teacher Report Form; Devereux Elementary School Behavior Rating Scale; Revised Behavior Problem Checklist;…

The article reviews research on the academic status of behaviorally disordered adolescents and identifies research needs in the areas of sampling techniques, selection of dependent measures including curriculum-based assessment, assessment of the learning strategy, abilities of students with behavioral disorders, and instructional variables…

Examination of the effects of difficulty level of academic tasks on the behavior of 2 subjects (ages 9 and 12) with severe behavior disorders found that difficult tasks were generally associated with lower percentages of time-on-task and higher percentages of time engaged in disruptive behavior than were easy task conditions. (Author/DB)

The behavior of each of 120 students in grades 9-12 was rated by 2 of the student's teachers using the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist. Results indicated a generally low to moderate degree of relationship among teacher ratings. It is recommended that clinicians collect behavioral ratings from many raters before reaching diagnostic conclusions.…

Two studies evaluated effects of First Step to Success, a collaborative home and school early intervention program designed for kindergartners who show signs of emerging antisocial behavior. Two sets of 5-year-old male twins were the subjects of the 4-year studies. Exposure to the First Step program produced powerful behavior changes that were…

Task-related and social behaviors of preschool children (n=21) at risk for behavior problems were examined in two school settings, a structured instructional context and an unstructured free play context. Results indicated that group differences in on-task, aggressive, and prosocial behavior depended on context. (Author/DB)

Direct observation and sequential analytic techniques were used to analyze rates, antecedents, and predictive sequences of aggressive behavior for 28 elementary school-aged children with emotional/behavioral disorders. Results indicated that low rates of positive social interactions characterized the daily classroom ecology of students displaying…

The impact of a modified wilderness program on the cooperative and aggressive behaviors of seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents was evaluated in the context of self-efficacy theory. Results indicated that participating adolescents showed a significant increase in cooperative behaviors and that direct observation procedures were more…

This study compared 13 students (grades 6 through 8) with behavior disorders who were mainstreamed part of each school day with 6 similar students not mainstreamed. Overall, the mainstreamed students had higher reading and written language scores, better work habits, and higher grades. Nonmainstreamed students demonstrated more extremes in social…