Today's classroom differs greatly from the classroom a decade ago. This is due, in part, to the changing demographics of students across the United States where diversity is now the norm. As children enter the educational system with diverse backgrounds, they are exposed to new experiences that facilitate changes in interests, behaviors, and…

This article reviews eight experimental studies on the effectiveness of cooperative learning as an instructional model for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD). The studies' methodological strengths and weaknesses are noted. The paper concludes that the effectiveness of cooperative learning for improving the academic achievement…

Explains a conceptual model for a comprehensive, multilevel, school-wide discipline program and describes its implementation in one elementary school. Key elements of the program include teaching social norms, a seven-step school-wide classroom management strategy, and targeted, intensive, and comprehensive interventions. (DB)

This Digest summarizes what is known about the use of positive behavioral support (PBS) and functional analysis (FA) to change the behaviors of students with a variety of disabilities. The paper notes that both PBS and FA differ from traditional behavioral management in focusing on systems, settings, and lack of skill. The 1997 reauthorization of…

This monograph provides an overview of intervention and programming strategies for students with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) based on the behavioral approach. It reviews the progress of the behavioral perspective in education from its earliest beginnings to the present and describes its major characteristics, chief proponents,…

Discussion of the increasing emphasis of school discipline and zero tolerance procedures and policies suggests there is little evidence that they have resulted in increased school safety or improved student behavior. A preventive, early response disciplinary model is suggested to increase the range of effective options for addressing violence and…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a project that provided an intensive 1-year training program for teachers working with students with emotional or behavior disorders. Forty-seven teachers (27 from under-represented populations) from the Nashville (Tennessee) Public School System were recruited and trained. All…

This paper offers a collaborative service delivery model and suggestions for language intervention strategies, goals, and assessment for students with behavioral disorders, to be implemented by teachers and speech-language pathologists. The intervention strategies can be integrated with academic and behavioral objectives. (DB)