This longitudinal monozygotic (MZ) twin differences study explored associations between birthweight and early family environment and teacher-rated behaviour problems and academic achievement at age 7. MZ differences in anxiety, hyperactivity, conduct problems, peer problems and academic achievement correlated significantly with MZ differences in…

The establishment of the UK government's OFSTED (school inspection service), published league tables, standardised testing, the literacy and numeracy strategy, imposed external targets for improvement, performance related pay and the gifted and talented programme, show the present government's concerns with educational improvement. Schools have…

Thirty-eight Latin American mothers with young children tell of their perceptions of school discipline and comportment issues and talk of their children's encounters with "zero tolerance" legislation, and related rules for conduct, implemented by the local school boards. The purpose of this exploratory study is to understand: (a)…

In this three-year longitudinal study, children were asked to choose the "best" strategy for dealing with hypothetical peer provocations and to justify "why" that was their choice at the end of first, second, and third grades. Teachers and parents also rated children's emotional and behavioral problems. Children's justifications were subjected to…

The alternative education field lacks a common definition and has a major divide between the differing philosophies of alternative programs; little empirical evidence is available to identify the components necessary to create effective alternative educational programs. Tremendous growth in the availability of alternative programs in the United…

The students targeted were third and fourth grade students with learning-disabilities and seventh-eighth grade science students who exhibited poor test scores, motivation, and behaviors that negatively impacted their learning. The objective of this study was to change the level of student engagement in order to increase their academic achievement…

Formal cooperative learning strategies and simple peer support structures provide a potential means of accommodating diversity in ability through use of collaboration principles like group interdependence. The effectiveness of various peer tutoring and peer support strategies for students with comorbid learning and behavior problems has been well…

Designed to provide comprehensive, research-based coverage of classroom issues, this book is a synthesis of the research base on classroom management and discipline. Factors for establishing an effective classroom management system are presented, and specific actions are offered to restore order if misbehavior occurs. The content is applicable for…

The revised curriculum addresses systematic social skills instruction of mentally retarded students, particularly those with behavioral difficulties. An introductory chapter presents a broad perspective on social competence and the rationale, methods, and content for teaching social skills. Procedures for direct instruction of social skills are…

This volume contains an advice column and five papers on teaching behaviorally disordered youth. The "Grand Rounds" column offers advice on two teaching situations involving extremely disruptive classroom behavior and elective mutism. "The Franklin-Jefferson Program: Demonstration of an Integrated Social Learning Approach to…

The paper describes a study of deviant behavior among students attending a high school in Texas. All students in the study attended a sociology class taught by a very strict teacher whose rules of behavior conflicted with students' peer group behavior expectations. Participant observation of student behavior in class and interviews with individual…

Most teachers today are faced with increasing pressure to teach to higher academic standards. This focus on academic achievement has led many teachers, against their better judgment, to reduce their attention to students' social and ethical growth and to building relationships with and among their students. The result of a collaboration between an…

This collection of papers examines proven strategies for assessing and managing high-risk behaviors while promoting healthy adolescent self-esteem among urban secondary school students. Part 1, "Problems in Urban Schoolchild Discipline," includes: (1) "Behavior Problems in Urban Schoolchildren" (Nancy R. Macciomei) and (2)…

Discusses the development of adolescent peer groups, student cultures, school violence, and effective interventions. Contends that the likelihood of violence increases when mediation boards and peer counseling are unavailable or ineffective. Includes a bibliography of 12 teacher resources on school violence. (CFR)

Freddy, a student diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder served for part of the school day in special education, was having difficulty staying on task. Teachers reported that Freddy was continuously getting up out of his seat, bothering classmates, and making verbal comments or requests without raising his hand. Observations were…