Psychiatric hospitalization is an intensive intervention designed to stabilize adolescents who are experiencing an acute mental health crisis. Reintegrating to school after discharge from psychiatric hospitalization can be overwhelming for many adolescents (E. V. Clemens, L. E. Welfare, & A. M. Williams, 2010). The authors used a consensual…

Using the LexisNexis database, the authors examined 99 court cases on students--who were 3-21 years of age and with various forms of autism spectrum disorder--between 2007 and 2008. The authors coded and analyzed procedural and substantive violations to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act and the provision of a Free and Appropriate…

The authors studied changes in disproportionate exclusion of African American students, compared with their White peers, in relation to implementation of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support using data from 46 schools. They measured (a) exclusion through suspension and expulsion data collected with the Schoolwide Information System; (b) Schoolwide…

Some students exhibit behavioral issues as early as preschool and kindergarten. Conventional wisdom suggests waiting to see whether students outgrow these difficulties. However, there is extensive evidence that early detection and intervention is preferred to the wait-and-see approach because it is more likely to result in better academic and…

With education's ever-changing and increasing expectations, including response-to-intervention, schools are required to make significant changes in practice to meet the needs of all students. The effectiveness and efficiencies garnered in implementing prevention-oriented, schoolwide approaches to instructional delivery provide the necessary…

A growing number of children are entering kindergarten without the skills that enable them to be successful in an academic setting. However, it is not children's cognitive skills that concern educators; it is their social and emotional skill deficits that are most troublesome. This article discusses how family and community risk factors can…

Achieving positive postschool outcomes continues to be a challenge for many students. These challenges are compounded for students with disabilities, even years after the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (1990; IDEA) required systematic transition planning. In this era of accountability through high-stakes testing, schools and families…

This study focused on approaches to curriculum, as well as school, principal, and student characteristics in secondary day treatment and residential psychiatric schools. A national random sample of 148 principals responded to a survey. No statistically significant differences existed between respondent and nonrespondent schools with regard to…

The United States is receiving unprecedented numbers of immigrants, with a parallel increase in the number of English-language learners (ELLs) entering our schools. Many of these ELLs are students with limited or interrupted formal education who face great challenges, especially at the secondary level where they have little time to master academic…

Teacher feedback is an important aspect of any classroom. However, because of the increasing demands on teachers' time, the delivery of feedback to students has been reduced. The author investigated the types and necessity of teacher feedback for students with learning challenges. The method for analysis was in the form of written teacher…

This study measured self-perceptions of school competence among 263 4th- and 6th-grade African American students who attended an academically challenged school district. Self-perceptions of school competence are defined as self-perceptions of ability, confidence, and school satisfaction. Results indicated that 4th-grade students had lesser…

The authors explored "Itchy's Alphabet" as an innovative approach to teaching letter-sound connections through multisensory cues. This is the initial demonstration of this instructional method for increasing students' sublexical skills (letter identification, letter-sound knowledge, and phonological awareness). To examine the effectiveness of the…

Bullying has long been of concern to school officials and parents alike. Bullying, which is a type of aggressive behavior, has now entered the electronic age in the form of cyberbullying (e.g., e-mails, text messages, profile sites). Cyberbullying is especially insidious because it affords a measure of anonymity and the opportunity to reach a much…

School districts are often given the challenging task of addressing problematic online behaviors committed by students while simultaneously protecting themselves from civil liability by not overstepping their authority. This is difficult, because the law concerning these behaviors is ambiguous and continuously evolving, and little consensus has…

Cyberbullying is a growing concern among school-age students. The combination of increased access, ease, and use of Web-based communication are part of what attributes to the problem. Cyberbullying affects not only students, but also parents and administrators. Because schools have the ability to reach all groups involved, it may be practical for…