The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 mandates the use of positive behavior support (PBS) and functional assessment under certain conditions within the public school setting. In this article the authors review the historical and philosophical tenets of PBS and functional assessment and discuss how specific clinical expertise…

In many U.S. school districts, there has been a near epidemic of out-of-school suspensions (OSSs) for relatively minor or vaguely defined student offenses. Suspension provides temporary relief to frustrated teachers and administrators and may result in more parental involvement. However, for a large number of at-risk youths, it appears that being…

Knowledge of the factors that influence youths' choice of racial or ethnic labels would help us understand intragroup diversity, suggest ways in which school social workers can support youths' ethnic identity development, and learn whether youths who choose different combinations of labels may be grouped together for research purposes. This study…

A school social worker and three social work interns in a semirural alternative high school with a predominant Hispanic student enrollment evaluated the Taking Charge group intervention. The group is an evidence-based life skills intervention for adolescent mothers, and it was evaluated on its efficacy for improving participants' school…

The purpose of the current study is to advance the psychometric properties of the child-administered 22-item Recent Exposure to Violence Scale (REVS) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) across three large and ethnically diverse samples of children ranging in age from middle childhood through adolescence. Results of the CFA suggest that a…

This article outlines a philosophical and theoretical framework for conducting school violence assessments at the local level. The authors advocate that assessments employ a strong conceptual foundation based on social work values. These values include the active measurement of ecological factors inside and outside the school that reflect the…

Early identification of social-emotional behavioral problems in infants and preschoolers is critical. Nine parent-report and caregiver/teacher-report instruments measuring preschool social-emotional behavioral problems and strengths are reviewed. Advantages to the use of parent-report and caregiver/teacher-report instruments are that they are easy…

The importance of preventing and intervening in bullying and other forms of school violence has been well established. This has resulted in the publication of numerous programs designed to prevent bullying and violence in schools. However, a missing piece revolves around the social worker's role in identifying and assessing violent behaviors in…

The purpose of this article is to set forth an innovative methodological protocol for culturally grounding interventions with high-risk youths in alternative schools. This study used mixed methods to evaluate original and adapted versions of a culturally grounded substance abuse prevention program. The qualitative and quantitative methods…

This article presents findings from the evaluation of the Caring Equation, a Department of Health and Human Services-funded project established in 2003 in Arlington County, Virginia, public schools. The program is a multifaceted intervention program and is one of about 20 programs currently operating in school districts around the United States.…

There is a paucity of literature on social skills therapy for students on the autism spectrum, revealing an urgent need for additional research. Past research has focused on the use of small groups or single-case study designs. The present study examines the effectiveness of a social skills therapy program for school-age children ages 11 through…

Positive behavior support (PBS) is being implemented in more than 5,300 schools in the United States. In this article, the authors review the conceptual components, implementation features, and evidence base of PBS; discuss its implementation at the preschool level; and explore implications for school social work practice. Whether starting PBS…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy with children who have classroom-related behavior problems within a school setting. Five to seven sessions of solution-focused brief therapy services were provided to 67 children, identified by school faculty and staff as needing assistance in solving behavior problems.…

The role school social workers play within schools, the training they receive, and whether they are present in junior high schools are all factors that pose barriers and opportunities for school social workers' involvement in dropout prevention efforts during the middle school years. Such efforts are necessary because the unique challenges of…

Success in school is a vital developmental outcome for children. In recent decades, it has been shown that school outcomes are influenced by a variety of environments and social processes in the lives of children, both within and across the central microsystems of family, school, and neighborhood. The current study used a multilevel analytic…