Alvermann urges teachers to "listen to their own students for guidance in adapting their instruction," calling it both "feasible and worthwhile." She says, "But having personal access to good directional ideas is not enough. Finding ways to turn those ideas into sound instructional practices (based on principles derived from equally sound…

Although it has been argued that students with behavioral disorders benefit most from placement in general education classrooms, careful and systematic support is required to insure that their placement is successful. In this article, we review supports and interventions provided at multiple levels that together are known as "positive behavior…

The "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) Act has made schools accountable for assuring adequate yearly progress of students. Therefore, it has become critical to identify school-level variables that can be controlled to affect student achievement, especially given that, thus far, most school reform efforts have failed to significantly affect…

Research shows that by the end of 3rd grade, one of six children in the United States has already attended three or more schools. During a four-year period, overall school stability can fall below 50 percent for many schools. Students--both those who move and those who remain behind--can suffer psychologically, socially, and academically from…

This study explores the effects of Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) training on school personnel and the students they serve. The goal of the study was to evaluate how LSCI was being used by staff and whether interventions reduced school-wide disciplinary referrals. Results showed that LSCI was used frequently by trained school personnel from…

This study examines to what extent fathers' and mothers' involvement in schooling is related to children's school outcomes, taking into account differences in family social status, social structure, and children's perceptions of their school learning environments. The findings suggested that (a) mothers were more involved in their children's…

The School Health Index (SHI) is a self-assessment and planning tool that helps individual schools identify the strengths and weaknesses of their health policies and programs. To determine the percentage of US schools meeting the recommendations in the SHI, the present study analyzed data from the School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS)…

When students set off for school each day how many of them or their caregivers consider for a moment that they will spend the day at a potentially dangerous place? On the contrary, students and caregivers probably view schools as safe havens, and official research suggests that this is the case for the majority of teachers and pupils. However,…

Researchers have suggested that good-quality school climates foster a sense of connection to the school and in this way contribute to fewer emotional and behavioral problems. However, few studies have directly assessed the role of school connectedness as a mediator of school climate effects. Using path analysis, this brief report examined whether…

Recent efforts of school personnel across the country to implement a variety of initiatives aimed at providing safe and tolerant learning environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) students have resulted in inclusion of homosexual identities in school curricula, identification of positive role models, counseling programs,…

The purpose of this study was to gain a student's perspective on the differences between alternative and traditional educational settings. Specific objectives were to (1) identify obstacles students perceived in transitioning from alternative settings to traditional school settings and (2) hear the authentic voices of students to determine what…

Evaluated versions of the HOME Inventory for use in assessing family child care homes. Found that psychometric properties of child care versions of HOME were similar to those of the original HOME for the family environment. Child care HOME scores were strongly related to observational measures of caregiver behavior and to measures of physical and…

The relevance and contribution of the construct of quality of life to assessments and intervention plans for children and youth in school settings are discussed. Theory, measurement, and research related to perceived quality of life (PQOL) are reviewed leading to the contention that PQOL information contributes incremental validity above and…

In this study, determinants of tobacco use among Gambian youths were examined. A cross-sectional school-based survey was conducted among 282 students, aged 14-18. The potential determinants were derived from the core constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the ASE model. Moreover, various measures of knowledge and media influence were…

The study reports on changes in beliefs and attitudes toward urban schools evidenced by teacher candidates when engaged in a five week summer tutoring experience in a city school district. Beliefs at pre and post testing are presented descriptively, while changes between the two measures are presented in a matched-case method. Among the most…