Emergency medicine residents at William Beaumont Hospital are evaluated quarterly by the nursing staff. The nurses discuss each resident and reach consensus on each evaluation item and copies are given to each resident. Although the residents' attitudes have not been favorable, overall their behavioral interactions have improved markedly.…

The mother of a highly creative girl describes her daughter's openness to experience and sensitivity, examines how adults misinterpret creative aspects of her daughter's being, comments that education could be a liberating medium but is generally a conditioning program, and notes that creativeness means living in essence and arriving at insights…

Curricular activity preference was determined for 3 students (ages 9-15) with moderate intellectual disabilities. Subsequent evaluation of the influence of activity preference on student behavior revealed that preferred activities were associated with reduced levels of problem behavior and increased levels of desirable behaviors. (Author/JDD)

Involves 141 students in a study to investigate the effect of the levels of group cooperation on students' achievement during a series of physical science laboratory activities. Overall, the teacher effect was more influential than instructional approach on students' behaviors and no significant differences on the students' final achievement were…

This ready-reference pull-out folder focuses on student discipline, discussing how to stop problems before they start, discipline in 1995 versus discipline in 1975, individual discipline style, steps to improving problem behavior, and resources for further information. (SM)

Explores alcohol consumption (and other substance abuses) at historically black colleges compared with nonblack colleges and universities. The paper explores the consequences of alcohol and other drug use and examines what is known about binge drinking. Comparative research indicates far less drinking and substance abuse at black colleges. (GR)

This study analyzed effects of repetitive task size on rate of responding and behavior of five adolescents with autism and mental retardation. Compared to large-task conditions, small-task conditions resulted in higher on-task behavior and better work-related behavior for all participants and higher work rate for four participants. (Author/PB)

This case study focused on an adult with severe disabilities and multiple problem behaviors fitting a pattern of behavioral escalation. Functional assessment indicated that use of rule statements by the teacher was related to occurrence and escalation of problem behaviors. Elimination of rule statements was an effective instructional intervention…

This article examines the concept of negative reinforcement in relation to the maintenance of off-task and disruptive behaviors in classrooms. Suggestions are given for determining whether negative reinforcement (in the form of escape from the instructional task) or teacher attention is maintaining the behavior. Suggestions for making tasks less…

Presents reflections on the articles in this special issue. Discusses how talk in the classroom has the potential to transform. Suggests that there is much more to learn about how to microanalyze teacher and student behavior, and that the greatest tool for this analysis is talk. (RS)

Trained observers conducted direct observations of Thai and American children's school behavior and obtained teacher reports on the same children. Observers reported twice as much problem behavior and off-task behavior in American children as in their Thai age-mates, contradicting some earlier studies. Findings support the value of direct behavior…

Comparison of 289 Canadian elementary students with behavioral or emotional difficulties with 363 Welsh students referred for social/emotional difficulties found similarities in the severity and frequency of acting-out or undercontrolled behaviors but significant differences in inhibited or overcontrolled behaviors, with Canadian teachers…

Factors associated with antisocial and aggressive behaviors in the schools are considered. Past practices are contrasted with emerging approaches to opposing aggression, including primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. The need for comprehensive intervention, the current policy of inclusion, and changing school personnel preparation…

Nonverbal and verbal techniques that teachers can use to manage surface behaviors are suggested, including planned ignoring, eye contact, facial expression, body posture, close proximity, touch control, limitation of space, redirection to another activity, ventilation, distraction, understanding and reassurance, modeling, humor, one-to-one…

Examined the relationship between early adolescents' temperament, as assessed by parent report, and a wide range of measures relating to school functioning. Found that temperament was related to academic achievement during the transition to adolescence and was related even more to classroom behavior and to students' perceptions of relationships…