Examined the relationship of 79 children's preschool social adaptation to internalizing problem behaviors following transition to kindergarten. Found that boys and girls did not differ in symptom level, but girls showed higher stability in internalizing problem behavior than boys. Preschoolers with high internalizing problem behavior rates…

Three studies obtained teacher-reported prevalence rates for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other behavior disorders using the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria; compared rates with the prevalence for DSM-III-R and DSM-III within the same population of elementary students; examined the…

Presents various signs that may indicate emotional problems in children or teens, noting that if children exhibit any of the warning signs, it is important to talk to a doctor, counselor, or mental-health professional. The warning signs are categorized as things that trouble the child, things that limit the child, behavior problems, and sudden…

Two cohorts of students attending an alternative school for chronically disruptive youth received either the standard program or the standard program with additional family involvement. The experimental group experienced statistically significant improvements in locus of control, grade point averages, attendance, and reduced dropout rate, relative…

Describes incidents of school violence in the Northwest, the young killers' personalities, characteristics of extremely aggressive children, and factors that reduce such children's potential for violence. Highlights from "Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools" (August 1998) list early warning signs, what schools can do, and what…

Using the Revised Behavioral Checklist, teachers rated at-risk adolescents from an urban alternative school. Researchers compared these students to normal and severely emotionally disturbed (SED) children in order to develop a definition of at-risk students. Results indicated that at-risk students differed significantly from normal children,…

Overviews challenges that rural educators face in meeting the diverse needs of students. A case study illustrates key elements of creating a positive behavior support plan: establishing a collaborative problem-solving team, determining the student's strengths, identifying the purpose of the negative behavior, identifying prevention strategies,…

Evaluated the stratification or dispersion of first grade teachers' perceptions of children's competence as a moderator of the relationship between teachers' and parents' perceptions of individual children's competence. Found that greater stratification predicted teachers' perceptions of less child competence and predicted less change in teachers'…

There are a number of factors that can undermine a teacher's ability to respond successfully to behavior problems in schools. They include: (1) difficulty relating to an increasingly more diverse group of students; (2) lack of skills to adequately assess student behavior and to identify major factors associated with problem behavior; and (3) the…

This paper examines the relationships of pupils' on-task orientation at school and their opposition to teachers with perceived cognitive competence, perceived relevance of schoolwork, and the belief that going against school norms increases peer status. The study was conducted as a survey among a national representative sample of 3834 pupils in…

This paper explores the impact of a school management information system on the interrelations between parents and school and parents and their student children in terms of the children's learning, behavior and attendance (LBA), during one academic year, in a vocational high school, located in a mainstream socio-economic neighborhood. Parents' LBA…

Behavior problems are increasing in frequency among preschool children. Thus, preschool teachers must be prepared to manage the increasing disruptive behaviors exhibited in their classrooms. Because positive behavioral management strategies are accepted by teachers and have been proven effective, token economies may be promising interventions to…

School-wide behavior management systems can improve academic performance and behavior in middle schools, and they should have positive effects on students with ADHD. Unfortunately, evidence-based, school-wide behavior management systems have not been widely adopted because of problems with feasibility, acceptability, and sustainability. The…

School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is a systematic and effective approach for broadly improving student behavior across school environments. SWPBS includes data-based strategies for supporting all students along a continuum of need and intensity based on a three-tiered model of prevention. Students with the most significant behavioral…

Positive behavior support (PBS) has evolved over the past 15 years from an individualized approach to behavior management to one with an increased focus on universal applications. Although there are clear areas of convergence between individualized and universal supports, it is also clear that the provision of individualized supports is an…