Successful transitioning and reintegrating students from alternative programs requires staff to (a) operate from an effective model that includes all stakeholders as participants, (b) follow guidelines that structure the process prior to, during, and at the follow-up stages, and (c) designate staff with responsibility for coordination and…

Twelve practical strategies that can be used by classroom teachers to prevent behavioral escalation are discussed, including reinforce calm, know the triggers, pay attention to anything unusual, do not escalate, intervene early, know the function of problem behavior, use extinction wisely, teach prosocial behavior, and teach academic survival…

This article describes an approach to reading instruction in which teachers use principles of functional analysis to generate hypotheses for the causes of reading failure, which are then used to guide the selection and implementation of interventions. Five possible causes of reading difficulties are described, and each is accompanied by suggested…

This article discusses the difficulties in meeting the needs of diverse student populations including those with learning and/or behavioral difficulties while meeting the demands of standards and accountability. It stresses the importance of matching the reading instructional program to the specific needs of the student and fine-tuning strategies…

Poetry writing is recommended in working with adolescent students both with and without emotional/behavioral disorders. Poetry writing is seen as having value in preventing emotional problems and in reaching depressed adolescents with language deficits. Examples are given from poems written by seventh graders. (DB)

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)

A public health model of prevention and intervention is applied to violent, aggressive, and antisocial student behaviors. Stressed is secondary prevention through school intervention by such means as comprehensive school planning, behavioral management strategies, student supervision, and providing for prosocial activity. Primary and tertiary…

This article describes the use of structured interviews to obtain information on which to base hypotheses about the functions of students' behavior disorders and the effectiveness of alternative interventions to teach new behavior. Phases and purposes of the structured interview are illustrated with several examples. (DB)

Teachers working with students having emotional and/or behavioral disorders may have special problems maintaining their mental health and positive psychological outlook. This article offers 10 cognitions, or ways in which teachers can choose to think, which will likely result in more positive feelings and increased effectiveness with students. (DB)

This article discusses strategies for preventing aggression and violence in children and youth, including understanding and applying appropriate interventions for escalating levels of aggression and violence, classroom preventative and planning measures, and systemwide policies and procedures. A student crisis plan sheet is provided as a tool for…

The article addresses special costs of strategies involved in maintaining students with behavior disorders in least restrictive environments including regular classrooms. Considered are factors influencing teacher choice of interventions, assumptions about classroom management, the role of the teacher, and intervention strategies and their…

Red Light-Green Light is a levels system providing immediate behavior modification feedback and varying privilege levels throughout the school day for primary students with behavior disorders. This article presents guidelines for implementation, covering development of classroom rules, classroom expectations, and system maintenance. Tips for…

This article discusses cooperative learning and computer-assisted instruction (CAI) for students with behavioral disorders. Elements of cooperative learning lessons and relevant software considerations are reviewed. Guidelines are offered and examples using specific software packages given, including models based on learning together, "Jigsaw"…

Describes the use of functional assessment for behavior-support planning with students having chronic behavior problems. Focus is on a functional assessment method that includes the student as an important information source. Following a definition of functional assessment, six steps for developing a comprehensive behavior support plan are…

Argues that using functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to identify individual factors that may be contributing to a student's behavior problem and building a positive behavioral-intervention plan will produce effective disciplinary practices. Components of successful implementation of FBA and overarching challenges to the use of FBA are…