In line with current educational policy on inclusive education, the number of pupils with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) attending mainstream schools is increasing. However, concerns remain about their experiences in school. In particular, previous research has suggested that such pupils are at an increased risk of social exclusion. In light of…

Plans to improve literacy instruction (N = 1,504) developed by teachers and early literacy experts in coaching sessions (N = 280) conducted in 31 Head Start classrooms were examined to describe a general trajectory of coaching with regard to content coverage, pedagogical emphasis (instructional material, teaching behavior), and progression (new,…

Understanding the social behaviors teachers believe is critical for school success and can contribute to the development of effective behavioral supports and assist teachers in better preparing students for successful school transitions across the K-12 grade span. We explored 1303 elementary, middle, and high school teachers' expectations of…

Principal tasks of the early childhood years, including attaining self-efficacy, self-control, social integration, and preparedness for education, require the development of adaptive and competent emotional development. Results from longitudinal and intergenerational studies examining the effect of parenting behaviors on children's emotional…

This article describes kindergarten from the perspective of the whole child. Specifically, it reviews current research on best practices to improve children's math and language arts competencies, memory skills, and the role of kindergarten in beginning science. It also describes the social experiences children have in kindergarten with respect to…

In this study we examined authoritative discipline theory, which posits that 2 complementary aspects of school climate--structure and support--are important for adolescents' safety in school. Using a statewide sample of over 7,300 ninth-grade students and 2,900 teachers randomly selected from 290 high schools, we showed, using hierarchical linear…

Reading Success is an individualized teacher-guided literacy program proven for 663 students who experienced difficulty with reading. The students had learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, and behavior challenges; were at risk for school failure; or were transitioning from speaking Spanish to English and experiencing literacy problems.…

Although schools are meant to be safe learning environments for all children, some children are not afforded equal access to the protection of their safety and security. Every day, children who might be same-sex attracted are confronted with a unique set of challenges that are not being adequately addressed by the administrators of educational…

The purpose of this research is to seek suggestions from foster parents' as to how teachers could help foster children and their parents. Questionnaires including twelve questions were distributed to one hundred fifty foster parents through South Carolina by the Foster Parents Association and South Carolina Social Services. Only twenty were…

This narrative inquiry explores the lives of five ninth grade female adolescents enrolled in an alternative school for students who have been expelled from an urban school district. The population of female students in the school increased from 21 to 102 over five years. The same trend is evident nationally. This study uses theories that label…

When Thomas B. Lockamy became the superintendent of the Savannah-Chatham County school system in Georgia three years ago, he did not set out to go after students who were missing too much school. While his initial focus was the reliability of data being collected at district schools, those concerns soon exposed a pattern of chronic absenteeism…

A longitudinal modeling approach was utilized to determine the existence of latent classes with regard to academic intrinsic motivation and the points of stability and transition of individuals between and within classes. A special type of latent Markov Chain model using "Mplus" was fit to data from the Fullerton Longitudinal Study, with…

Although bullying is hardly a new phenomenon, highly publicized media accounts about bullying have raised the awareness of many people (Limber, 2003). Bullying can no longer be sloughed off as quiet, inconsequential kid stuff experienced by only a few victims who "probably deserved it anyway." It can no longer be considered the rite of passage…

This article provides a case study of a project by the University of Delaware and the City of Newark to apply an environmental model to address the excessive use of alcohol by college students. Data about changes in the behavior and experiences of students over a 10-year period are compared. The authors discuss some of the practical implications…

This paper discusses the results of a survey completed by students who were on academic warning and agreed to attend advising sessions. The format of the advising sessions focused on the 4 Ds of Appreciative Advising with a requirement of three advising sessions and a follow-up survey. The goal of the research was to determine whether Appreciative…