This study examined the generalizability and dependability of observational estimates of middle and high school teachers' use of praise and reprimands. Frequency of behavior-specific praise, general praise, and total reprimands were collected across 67, 20-min observations that took place during class-wide instruction in general education…

Behavior-specific praise (BSP) is a low-intensity strategy widely used to encourage appropriate behavior. We sought to explore the vast literature base for BSP, which spans 50 years, to better understand for whom and under what conditions BSP has demonstrated effectiveness. We conducted a comprehensive review of school-based intervention studies…

Recent statistics suggest that student externalizing behaviors are increasing in Western and Asian countries; however, there is a paucity of research on teachers' perspectives of these behaviors in Middle Eastern countries. A mixed-methods research design was used to investigate Kuwaiti public elementary and middle school teachers' perceptions of…

Active supervision is a proactive, low-intensity strategy to minimize challenging behaviors and increase desired behaviors. To examine the evidence base of this strategy, we applied the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) "Standards for Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education" to the body of research exploring the impact of…

Many studies have demonstrated that when teachers are trained to increase their use of praise, student misbehavior improves; however, few studies have examined teachers' natural use of praise and no study has examined the relation between teachers' natural use of praise and classroom behavior. The purpose of the current study was to examine…

Teachers' classroom management practices have a direct impact on their students' probability of success. Evidence-based classroom management practices include (a) active instruction and supervision of students (i.e., teaching), (b) opportunities for students to respond, and (c) feedback to students. In this study, we examined the degree to which…

Class-wide interventions have strong empirical support for improving behavior in general education classes but are rarely tested in special education classes. The present study examined the effects of the Class-wide Function-related Intervention Team (CW-FIT) program, a group contingency intervention, on the on-task behavior of six elementary…

This study investigated the use of a student response system (SRS) on the participation, classroom behavior, and academic achievement of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The purpose of this research was to determine if using an SRS, in place of typical classroom methods of student response, would generate increases in…

This document provides policy recommendations of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders regarding the use of seclusion procedures in schools. It includes (a) an introduction, (b) a declaration of principles, and (c) recommendations regarding the use of seclusion in school settings. Explanation or elaboration of policy recommendations…

One current area of dispute in the psychological literature is the inclusion of and proper meta-analytic data analysis procedures for single-subject designs. The current single-subject meta-analysis (N = 25) investigated the effect of time-out for the reduction of disruptive classroom behaviors in nondevelopmentally delayed children. Two separate…

Inservice education has the potential to provide teachers with knowledge and skills that are necessary to manage challenging classroom behavior and improve academic and social/emotional outcomes. To assess the effectiveness of 3 inservice programs that focused on knowledge, understanding, and/or functional-assessment interventions, we identified…

This position paper discusses aversive conditioning and other behavior reduction procedures. Environmental modification, differential reinforcement, timeout, overcorrection, and corporal punishment are discussed in terms of current applications, with arguments for and against their inclusion in behavior modification. Eight guidelines are offered…

This study investigated the efficacy of sound-field amplification (SFA) for improving the speed with which students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) follow teacher directions. We used a multiple baseline design across six students in general education classrooms. Latency data were collected under nonamplified and amplified conditions…

Five elementary students with severe emotional disturbance participated in a comprehensive functional assessment process designed to yield a useful understanding of their desirable and undesirable behaviors. Individualized hypotheses were developed regarding relationships between classroom events and the occurrence of target behaviors, and…

Investigated were the effects of a jogging program on talking out and out of seat behaviors exhibited by six elementary-aged behaviorally disordered students in a resource room setting. Results indicate a decrease in the occurrence of both behaviors following jogging for five of the six students. (Author/JDD)