The alternative education field lacks a common definition and has a major divide between the differing philosophies of alternative programs; little empirical evidence is available to identify the components necessary to create effective alternative educational programs. Tremendous growth in the availability of alternative programs in the United…

This article highlights the three sets of policy issues that particularly affect students with emotional and behavioral disorders: issues related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; continued concerns with school discipline and safety; and the focus on accountability in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. (Contains references.)…

This article addresses two types of issues related to policy decisions. First, it examines policy as it relates to the logistics of conducting an FBA. Second, it discusses issues related to proactively preventing serious behavior from occurring in schools. (Contains 13 references.) (CR)

Discusses requirements specified in the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that pertain to functional behavioral assessment, as well as positive behavioral intervention plans and supports as they relate to the responsibilities of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team and to the IEP itself. (CR)

This article explains how cooperative learning techniques can be used to teach interpersonal social skills, describes the cognitive-behavioral model for treating deficits in social problem-solving skills, and outlines the critical steps for using peers as social skills trainers in classrooms with antisocial students. (DB)