School engagement is an important predictor of graduation. One strategy to enhance student engagement is mentoring. Check & Connect is a structured mentoring program that has resulted in favorable outcomes for many students, including those with emotional and behavioral disorders. Effectiveness, however, depends on the quality of the…

School discipline research has demonstrated that the labeling of student behaviors as requiring disciplinary action is a selective process in which school staff take into account other factors than the characteristics of the behaviors. We argue that school staff react in a disciplinary way to students with negative attitudes toward the educational…

A study of 209 youngsters (ages 5-20) with emotional and/or behavior disorders examined perceptions of traits of so-called good teachers, including personality traits, respectful treatment of students, behavior management practices, and instructional skills. African-American students perceived personality traits and respectful treatment of…

Analysis of scores of 469 third to sixth graders on the Children's Tolerance Scale yielded significant grade level differences with older children generally the most tolerant. The more outer-directed behaviors were rated as most disturbing. (CL)

In interviews with 74 adolescents, high-income adolescents reported fewer misbehaviors and more behaviors which were playful, whereas misbehaviors of low-income youth stemmed mainly from anger. Low-income adolescents reported a greater number and variety of penalties that seemed both disproportionate to offenses and humiliating in nature.…