School-based response to intervention (RTI) teams must gather, organize, chart, and interpret essential instructional information to make effective adjustments to meet the academic needs of struggling learners. Quantified data such as student proficiency scores, rate of progress trends, and achievement gap results provide the foundation for making…

Even evidence-based instructional methods may not be sufficient for closing achievement gaps. If teachers are not maximizing instructional time, achievement gaps are likely to widen over time; therefore, instruction need not only be effective but efficient as well. The purposes of this article are to (a) provide practitioners with a broad…

Functional behavior assessment (FBA), although mandated by federal law in situations involving students with emotional and behavioral disorders, is not well defined in the literature in terms of how it should best be undertaken in widespread practice in schools. Functional behavior assessment can be defined as a process for determining the reason…

Disruptive behaviors requiring intervention occur across multiple school systems, including individual students and classrooms. Such behaviors, including talking aloud in class, getting out of one's seat, or more serious behaviors, can be frustrating for other students as well as teachers, who are trying to help students meet ever-increasing…

This article focuses on how education personnel can foster a climate and infrastructure for working collaboratively with Latino families. The author argues that collaboration is facilitated when educators understand how they, as school agents, accept a Latino community's culture, knowledge, and power within the school context and how educators…

With federal mandates to develop and implement programs for students with disabilities who have behavior problems that impede their educational performance, school personnel are faced with increasing responsibility for developing individualized interventions. Developing interventions that appropriately, effectively, and efficiently address the…

This article provides basic information for school-based mental health professionals, teachers, staff, and administrators to support students coping with grief, and more specifically, grief related to death. The information is consolidated into guidelines and key points in providing support; suggested children's books and activities; Web sites…

Despite significant advances in practices for effectively designing and delivering instruction for students with disabilities, educators continue to face challenges addressing the needs of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Little information is available for educators on accommodations and modifications that would serve the needs…

The disproportionate representation of students of color in special education is a critical challenge facing educators and school districts. This article helps educators understand and address this challenge by providing information on disproportionate representation and guidelines for delivering a wide range of effective culturally responsive…

This article provides the American Psychiatric Association's definition of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and then gives an overview of ADD by considering the three types of ADD, the developmental impact of ADD, factors contributing to ADD, identification and assessment of students with ADD (emphasizing multimethod and consideration of…

This article offers a repertoire of behavior management strategies to help students with attention deficit disorder (ADD) succeed in school. Strategies range from conducting a functional behavioral assessment to antecedents- and consequences-based strategies. The article also discusses factors that educators may consider in meeting the behavioral…

Principles of educational interventions for students with attention deficit disorder (ADD) include: (1) giving complete and thorough directions; (2) individualizing in-class and homework assignments; (3) motivating students; (4) promoting active responding and monitoring understanding; (5) employing content enhancements; (6) offering learning…

Twenty ideas for helping students with attention deficit disorder develop social and friendship skills include: (1) assessing students' mastery of social skills; (2) using children's literature to teach social skills; (3) creating a classroom environment that promotes social interaction among students; (4) remembering that social skills are…

Twenty ideas for collaborating with families of children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) include: (1) providing information about ADD to families; (2) planning meetings to accommodate family members; (3) addressing the language needs of families; (4) helping family members develop their advocacy skills; and (5) helping families network with…

This article on adolescent alienation defines alienation, discusses the constructs of alienation, suggests questions educators can ask if they suspect a student is feeling alienated, and discusses strategies/interventions school staff and educators can use to decrease student alienation. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)