This paper reports the results of a randomized controlled trial evaluating "We Have Skills," a brief curriculum designed to teach early elementary students academic and social skills as well as improve teacher efficacy in classroom management. Intervention efficacy was tested with 127 teachers, randomly assigned to condition, and 2,817…

There is limited research on job-embedded professional development designed to promote paraprofessionals' use of research-based strategies to support students with disruptive behaviors. This study serves as the first clustered randomized controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of the Behavior Support Coaching for Paraprofessional Model…

This study investigated the presence of word reading difficulties in a sample of students in Grades 1-4 (n = 357) identified with language and reading comprehension difficulties. This study also examined whether distinct word reading and listening comprehension profiles emerged within this sample and the extent to which these groups varied in…

Viewed through a social justice lens, preschool expulsion is an educational equity issue. This study focused on prior expulsion from preschool and child-care in a longitudinal study of 203 autistic children, ages 4 to 7. By parent report, 16%--one out of six autistic children--had been expelled from a preschool or child-care setting prior to…

As students return to in-person instruction in the 2021-2022 school year, local education agencies (LEAs) must develop resource allocation strategies to support schools in need. Federal programs have provided resources to support restart and recovery. However, there is little consensus on how LEAs can target resources to support those schools most…

A cluster randomized design was used to investigate effects of the Story Friends vocabulary curriculum on learning of 84 preschoolers in 24 classrooms who were at risk for language difficulties. Children in the treatment condition received explicit vocabulary instruction of 36 words during small-group storybook listening centers with extended…

A latent profile analysis was applied to explore heterogeneity in the social and classroom behaviors of 224 peer-rejected elementary school students (56% White, 68% male, Grades 1-4, M[subscript age] = 8.1 years). Profile indicators included teacher ratings of social skills and problem behaviors on the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) and…

The purpose of this study was to obtain perspectives of parents, teachers, and students about the contextual fit of conjoint behavioral consultation for supporting middle school students with emotional and behavior concerns. Participants were eight parents of middle school students with elevated behavior risk, eight middle school students with…

School underachievement is a persistent problem in the United States. Direct-to-student, computer-delivered growth-mindset interventions have shown promise as a way to improve achievement for students at risk of failing in school; however, these interventions benefit only students who happen to be in classrooms that support growth-mindset beliefs.…

This article reports on a pilot study of the "Integrated Literacy Study Group," a digitally delivered professional learning intervention to prepare elementary school teachers to provide evidence-based reading instruction and behavioral strategies to students with or are at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Using broadcast…

This pilot study examined the promise of a Tier 2 sixth grade intervention program for students at-risk for difficulties in mathematics. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design. The final sample included 112 students in treatment (Promoting Algebra Readiness) and 86 students in control (standard district practice) conditions. The Promoting…

Few studies have systematically investigated the reading skill profiles of English Learners (ELs) in late elementary school, a critical developmental period for language and literacy and the most common grades for initial identification with specific learning disabilities (O'Connor et al., "Learning Disabilities Research & Practice,"…

Increased expectations for writing performance have created a need for formative writing assessments that will help middle school teachers better understand adolescents' grade appropriate writing skills and monitor the progress of students with or at risk for writing disabilities. In this practice piece, we first explain research-based…

There is growing evidence of the efficacy of evidence-based interventions in improving the academic and social outcomes of children who exhibit challenging behaviors during program implementation periods. However, less is known about the extent to which practices learned as part of these interventions are sustained after these projects end, when…

This paper presents a vulnerability framework as a means to contextualize inequities in reading achievement among children who are vulnerable to poor reading outcomes. Models to understand vulnerability have been applied in the social sciences and public health to identify population disparities and design interventions to improve outcomes.…