A withdrawal design was used to investigate how physical activity affects on-task behavior of young children with significant developmental delays in a special education preschool classroom. Five preschool age children with significant developmental delays engaged in either physical activity or seated center activities for 20 min prior to a 15-min…

In this study, the researchers evaluated the sensitivity of Direct Behavior Rating Single-Item Scales (DBR-SIS) for assessing behavior change in response to an intervention. Included in the analyses were data from 20 completed behavioral consultation cases involving a diverse sample of elementary participants and contexts using a common…

This article examined the efficacy of a primary-level, standard-protocol behavior intervention for students with externalizing behavioral disorders. Elementary schools were randomly assigned to treatment (behavior intervention) or control (business as usual) conditions, and K-3 students were screened for externalizing behavior risk status. The…

Learning disabled and nondisabled (N=22) children were individually observed in their classroom. Results indicated that normal youngsters spent about 80 percent of observed time on-task regardless of task demands. Learning disabled youngsters varied in their on-task behavior as a function of task demands. (Author/CL)

Analysis of academic responding and its instructional correlates for fourth graders in Title I and non-Title I schools revealed that instruction in both groups provided relatively infrequent amounts of academic responding time. This time was significantly lower among minority students in Title I schools. (CL)

Nine handicapped and nine nonhandicapped preschoolers were observed in three settings that differed in grouping, supervision, and teacher direction. Handicapped children spent less time on-task and interacted more frequently with adults and less frequently with peers than did nonhandicapped children. Furthermore, handicapped and nonhandicapped…

This study of 6 students with severe disabilities and 12 without disabilities in an inclusive elementary school found that both groups evidenced comparable levels of engaged time in general education classrooms. The quantity of time actually used for instruction was unaffected by the presence of students with severe disabilities. (Author/JDD)

The study compared amount of instructional time in classrooms for severely multiply handicapped children when student/staff ratios ranged from 10:3 to 5:3. Results suggest a point at which instructional and noninstructional time are approximately equal, at a 2:1 student/staff ratio. Thereafter, gains in instructional time become less pronounced.…

Among findings from a comparison of 13 preschool hyperactive and control males assessed on receptive-communications tasks that required listening and delayed response were that Ss did not differ in task-related movements or verbalizations, but that hyperactive Ss verbalized impulsively during transitions and tasks requiring response delay. (DB)

Twenty-eight students (ages 9-12) with learning disabilities were taught a spelling study procedure (SSP), followed by instruction in self-monitoring of performance (SMP) and self-monitoring of attention (SMA). On-task behavior was significantly higher in both SMA and SMP than in SSP. Neither SMP nor SMA were inherently superior across subjects,…

This study of 241 students found that at-risk low-socioeconomic status (SES) students involved in classwide peer tutoring from grades 1-3 spent more time in academic instruction and engagement and performed better on Metropolitan Achievement Test subtests than an at-risk control group and a nonrisk comparison group of higher SES students.…

Naturalistic observation procedures examined the use of time by 230 elementary students with disabilities in four special education placements--regular class, resource room, special class, and special school. The least restrictive alternatives, particularly the resource room, made more in-class learning time available. (Author/DB)

A study examined 118 successfully inclusive classrooms in four high schools. Students with and without disabilities showed high levels of academic engagement and low levels of inappropriate behavior, teachers were active in their classrooms, and students with disabilities were more often the focus of teacher attention than typical students.…

This study examined the nature of instruction provided in 40 self-contained special classes for students classified as learning disabled, emotionally handicapped, or educable mentally retarded. Few differences were identified in teacher communication patterns, learner involvement, and instructional methods for students with different categorical…

A study examined the impact of functional assessment interventions on appropriate and challenging behaviors of 75 typical children (ages 3-6), 60 children at-risk, and 75 children with special needs. Functional assessment procedures resulted in a decrease in challenging behavior and nonengagement and an increase in active engagement and peer…