Kathleen Lynne Lane

Academic Achievement of K-12 Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders:

This cross-sectional study was conducted with a random sample of 155 K-12 students served in public school settings and established the extent to which students with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) experience academic achievement deficits with attention to age and gender differences. In addition, this study examined particular types of problem behaviors related to academic achievement. Results indicate that students with E/BD showed large academic achievement deficits across all of the content areas, and the deficits appeared to be stable or worsen in the case of mathematics across age. There appeared to be no gender differences. Additionally, externalizing behaviors were related to reading, mathematics, and written language achievement; whereas, internalizing ones were not.

Rates of progression of coronary calcium by electron beam tomography

In this study, we sought to determine the rate of progression of atherosclerosis using coronary calcium scores derived from electron beam tomography (EBT). We studied a variety of disease states (hypertension, high cholesterol, tobacco use, diabetes mellitus) followed for 1 to 6.5 years. We evaluated 299 asymptomatic persons (227 men and 72 women) who underwent 2 consecutive EBT scans at least 12 months apart. The average change in the calcium score (Agatston method) for the entire group was 33.2 +/- 9.2%/year. The treated group (receiving statins) demonstrated an average increase in calcium scores of 15 +/- 8%/year compared with 39 +/- 12%/year for untreated patients (p <0.001). Among the 60 patients on statin monotherapy, 37% had a decrease in the calcium score from baseline to follow-up scan. The relative increase in calcium scores did not vary significantly by gender or risk factors, with the exception of statin-treated hypercholesterolemic subjects. Scores of zero on the initial scan portend a low likelihood of significant calcific deposits on repeat scanning. Only 2 of 81 participants (2%) with scores of zero at baseline had scores >10 on repeat study. In this study, statin therapy induced a 61% reduction in the rate of coronary calcium progression. This study demonstrates that EBT may be a useful tool in assessing efficacy of different interventions to retard progression of atherosclerosis, noninvasively, over relatively short time periods.

Student Risk Screening Scale: Initial Evidence for Score Reliability and Validity at the High School Level

This article presents findings from a study of the reliability and validity of the Student Risk Screening Scale for use with high school students (N = 674). Results revealed high internal consistency, test—retest stability, interrater reliability, and convergent validity with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire . Predictive validity was established across two academic years, with students at low risk for antisocial behavior differentiated on behavioral (office discipline referrals [ODR]) and academic variables (grade point average [GPA]) from students with moderate and high levels of risk. However, neither ODR nor GPA variables could differentiate between students with moderate-risk or high-risk status. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Academic, Social, and Behavioral Characteristics of High School Students with Emotional Disturbances or Learning Disabilities.

In this article, we examine similarities and differences in the academic, social, and behavioral skills of high school students with emotional disturbances (ED) and learning disabilities (LD). Two groups of high school students with ED (n = 45) and LD ( n = 49) were compared on nine measures in academic, behavioral, and social domains using multivariate procedures. Results indicated that there were significant differences in the characteristics of these students, with seven of the original nine variables differentiating group membership. In general, adolescent students with LD exhibited higher levels of social competence and lower levels of behavioral problems as compared to adolescent students with ED. Findings also revealed that a substantial percentage of the variance (50%) between adolescents with ED and adolescents with LD could be explained. Furthermore, the variables in this model differentiated between these two groups, with 78.57% of students with ED and 78.95% of students with LD being correctly classified. Limitations of the study are discussed and directions for future research are offered.

Academic Instruction for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

1. The term means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree, which adversely affects educational performance: (a) An inability to learn which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; (b) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; (c) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; (d) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or (e) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. 2. The term includes children who have schizophrenia. The term does not include children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance. (Section 300.7(b)(9))

Self-Determination Skills and Opportunities of Transition-Age Youth with Emotional Disturbance and Learning Disabilities

This study examined the self-determination of adolescents with emotional disturbance (ED) and learning disabilities (LD) from the perspectives of special educators, parents, and the students themselves. Differences in self-determination ratings were associated with both disability group and respondent. Specifically, adolescents with ED were found to have lower ratings of self-determination than students with LD, with the most pronounced differences evident from the teacher perspective. Furthermore, students with ED identified infrequent opportunities at school and home for engaging in self-determined behavior, whereas educators and parents differed in their assessments of opportunities in each setting. Implications regarding increasing the self-determination skills and opportunities of adolescents with disabilities are discussed.

Treatment Integrity: An Essential—But Often Forgotten—Component of School-Based Interventions

In this article, the authors introduce the construct of treatment integrity and illustrate the importance of treatment integrity as it relates to school-based intervention. Specifically, the authors address the following questions: What is treatment integrity? Why is it important to assess treatment integrity? How can treatment integrity be assessed? and What factors influence treatment integrity? Finally, the authors offer school personnel examples of ways to realistically assess treatment integrity at the classroom level.

The Effects of Self-Regulated Strategy Development on the Writing Performance of Second-Grade Students With Behavioral and Writing Difficulties:

The effects of a secondary academic intervention, embedded in the context of a positive behavior support model, on the writing of second-grade students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorder and writing problems were examined in this study. Students were taught how to plan and draft a story using the self-regulated strategy development model. Results of this multiple-probe design revealed lasting improvements in story completeness, length, and quality for all 6 students. Students and teachers rated the intervention favorably, with some indicating that the intervention exceeded their expectations. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Efficacy of a Function-Based Intervention in Decreasing Off-Task Behavior Exhibited by a Student with ADHD.

This study examined the effects of a function-based intervention implemented with a student, Shawn, who had attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, internalizing behavioral problems, and a speech and language impairment. Shawn attended a fourth-grade classroom in a self-contained school that served students with emotional and behavioral disorders. During language and math classes, Shawn exhibited high rates of off-task behavior. His teacher viewed these behaviors as disruptive, creating lost instructional time for all students. Functional assessment data indicated that Shawns off-task behavior was maintained by attention (positive reinforcement) and escape from tasks (negative reinforcement). A function-based intervention including a communication system, a self-monitoring component, and extinction resulted in improvements in Shawns behavior. The classroom teachers and Shawn rated the intervention favorably. Limitations and directions for future research are offered.

An Examination of the Evidence Base for Function-Based Interventions for Students with Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders Attending Middle and High Schools

The authors field-tested the core quality indicators and standards for evidence-based practices for single-case design studies developed by Horner and colleagues (2005) by applying them to the literature exploring functional assessment-based interventions conducted with secondary-age students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD). First, we evaluated this knowledge base by applying the indicators to determine if the studies identified (n = 12) were of acceptable methodological quality. Second, we analyzed studies meeting the recommended quality indicators to determine whether function-based interventions with students with EBD might be considered an evidence-based practice. Results reveal that only 1 study addressed all proposed quality indicators, suggesting that function-based interventions are not yet an evidence-based practice for this population per these indicators and standards. Limitations and recommendations are posed.