Paul Caldarella

Validation of the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders in Middle and Junior High School

The Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD), a multistage screening system designed to identify elementary school—age children at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders, was evaluated for use with middle and junior high school students. During SSBD Stage 1, teachers identified 123 students in grades 6 through 9 with characteristics of internalizing and externalizing disorders. Teachers then completed SSBD Stage 2 behavior rating scales, the Teacher Report Form, and the Social Skill Rating System on 119 of these students identified as at-risk during Stage 1. Office discipline referrals and cumulative grade point averages for at-risk students were compared to those of students not designated by teachers. SSBD Stage 2 scores were compared with scores from the Teacher Report Form and Social Skill Rating System. Internal consistency and interrater reliability of the SSBD were also examined. Results provide evidence for the reliability and validity of SSBD ratings of early adolescent students.

Comparing the Effects of Instructional and Transformational Leadership on Student Achievement: Implications for Practice.

The purpose of this study was to compare transformational and instructional leadership theories, examine the unique impact that school leaders have on student achievement, and determine which specific leadership practices are associated with increased student achievement. The sample for this study consisted of 590 teachers in 37 elementary schools in the Intermountain West of the United States. Teachers rated their principals’ leadership style according to the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (Transformational Leadership) and the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (Instructional leadership). Student achievement was measured by a criterion referenced test. Hypotheses were tested using regression analysis. Results indicated that instructional leadership explained more of the variance in student achievement than did transformational leadership. Principals’ leadership style tended to have a meaningful impact on student achievement beyond the impact of school context and principal demographics. Specific leadership functions associated with student achievement were also identified and reported. Conclusion, implications and limitations are also discussed.

The Effects of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support on Middle School Climate and Student Outcomes.

Abstract This study investigated the effects of school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) on middle school climate and student outcomes. Data consisted of more than 300 teacher responses and 10,000 student responses in two middle schools in the western United States. This study used a quasi-experimental (non-equivalent two-group, pretest-posttest) design. One school implemented a SWPBS intervention over a period of four years, while the other served as a control. The SWPBS intervention included school-wide teaching of social skills, praise notes from teachers to students, posting of school rules, proactive screening for students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders, and referrals of at-risk students for targeted interventions. The treatment school showed statistically significant improvements in teacher ratings of school climate, while the control school tended to stay the same or worsen. Statistically significant decreases were also evident in students’ tardiness, unexcused absences, and office discipline referrals when compared to the control school. Implications and limitations of this study are addressed.

Chinese elementary school teachers’ perceptions of students’ classroom behaviour problems

This study examined teachers’ perceptions of classroom behaviour problems in five provinces of the People’s Republic of China. Researchers surveyed 527 Chinese teachers from 27 elementary schools. Consistent with previous studies in China, teachers perceived non‐attention to be the most frequent and troublesome behaviour problem. Teachers’ perceptions of which behaviour problems were most difficult to tolerate and most negative in their effects on student development were also investigated. Approximately 45% of the teachers reported spending too much time on behaviour problems. Significant differences were found in the prevalence of teachers’ perceptions of student misbehaviour and of the time spent on classroom management; there were also differences in these perceptions according to students’ gender, type of school, classroom subject taught, and teachers’ level of experience. The implications of these findings for researchers and practitioners are addressed.

Schoolwide Screening and Programs of Positive Behavior Support: Informing Universal Interventions

Researchers have suggested that screening, identification, and treatment are important components of comprehensive systems of positive behavior support. The authors highlight a procedure for using multiple data sources to develop strategies at the universal intervention level. Examples of schoolwide assessments include interviews, observations, focus groups, archival data, systematic screening for behavior disorders, and office disciplinary referrals. A descriptive summary of data collected in an elementary school illustrates an interpretive process that school teams could use before selecting universal interventions. A comparison of subjective and objective data collection methods suggests that varied data sources have differing implications for intervention planning. The authors underscore the benefits of integrating data before selecting universal interventions and include implications for research and practice.

Social-Behavioral Assessment of At-Risk Early Adolescent Students: Psychometric Characteristics and Validity of a Parent Report Form of the School Social Behavior Scales:

The purposes of this investigation were to examine the validity of the Home and Community Social Behavior Scales (HCSBS) for differentiating at-risk and non-at-risk stu dents in grades 6 through 9 and to evaluate psychometric characteristics of this instru ment. Parent ratings of social competence and antisocial behavior on the HCSBS for a group of 160 students who were part of an at-risk pre vention project were compared with those of 107 typical non-at-risk students. These students were all in grades 6 through 9, and the groups were relatively similar in terms of demographic characteristics. The at-risk group was rated as having significantly lower social competence and significantly higher rates of antisocial behavior than the non-at-risk group (p < .0001). Power analyses indicated that these group differences ranged from approximately 1½ to 1 3/4 standard deviations. Item level HCSBS scores were also shown to correctly clas sify the students into their respective groups with a great deal of accuracy (92.37% overall). Internal consistency coefficients of the two HCSBS scales were uniformly high (in the mid .90 range). These results provide new and use ful evidence regarding the significant social behavior problems exhibited by at-risk stu dents, as well as preliminary evidence of the validity and usefulness of the HCSBS. Implications for further research and psychoe ducational assessment practice are discussed.

Using Peer Praise Notes to Increase the Social Involvement of Withdrawn Adolescents.

Social competence is crucial to school success, including academic achievement (Coie & Krehbiel, 1984; Gresham, Sugai, & Horner, 2001; Kerr & Nelson, 2006; Walker, Ramsey, & Gresham, 2004). Defined as the ability to interact successfully with peers and significant adults, social competence is associated with peer acceptance, positive peer relationships, teacher acceptance, and academic success (Walker et al.). Social competence becomes particularly critical for students with cognitive, academic, or emotional and behavioral deficits (Gresham & MacMillan, 1997). The Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) criteria indicate that students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) often have difficulty forming and maintaining relationships with peers and teachers. Adolescents with EBD display lower levels of social competence and higher levels of problem behavior than students with learning disabilities (Lane, Carter, Pierson, & Glaeser, 2006). Middle and junior high school students with EBD have also been rated by their teachers as having higher levels of social maladjustment and lower levels of overall competence than students without EBD (Cullinan & Sabornie, 2004). In addition, students with EBD may misinterpret social situations and have difficulty with interpersonal problem-solving skills (Lane, Wehby, & Barton-Arwood, 2005), often resulting in peer rejection (Murray & Greenberg, 2006) further heightening

Collaborative Preteaching of Students at Risk for Academic Failure

177 Effective learners develop strategies to help them listen, understand, record, and study new information as presented by lecture, demonstration, or discussion (Heward, 2003). Students with learning disabilities often lack one or more of these skills. They may have difficulty processing oral or visual presentations, taking notes on important points, remembering new information, or preparing for and taking tests (Mercer & Pullen, 2005). This presents a difficulty for general education teachers as they endeavor to accommodate the needs of students with learning disabilities while still addressing the required curriculum. For example, students in high school science classes are typically required to take notes, study grade-level texts and materials, read and follow lab experiment procedures, prepare for and take tests, and use technology. Learning disabilities can make any or all of these requirements difficult. This column provides an example of collaborative preteaching between general and special education teachers to increase the academic performance of students with learning disabilities. Students with learning disabilities often lack the strategies needed to control and direct their thinking, to gain more knowledge, and to remember what they learn (Lerner, 1997). Research shows that learning strategies can facilitate learning and remembering (Ellis, Deshler, Lenz, Schumaker, & Clark, 1991; Mayer, 1988; Palinscar & Brown, 1989; Pressley, 1991; Wong, 1991). Successful learners have the ability to direct their thinking to facilitate learning and connect new learning to prior knowledge. Collins (1994) suggested that teachers should support students by helping them acquire and use background knowledge. Stevens (1982) verified that possessing sufficient prior knowledge is crucial to “the superior comprehension of material concerning that topic”

Implementing Strong Kids School-Wide to Reduce Internalizing Behaviors and Increase Prosocial Behaviors

Instruction and training in social and emotional learning (SEL) is an important component in addressing the emotional and behavioral needs of students. This study is the first to examine whether Strong Kids, an SEL program, delivered school-wide in all classrooms, could result in decreased internalizing behaviors and increased prosocial behaviors for both at-risk and general education students. This study also evaluated whether teachers could implement Strong Kids as designed and whether they viewed it as socially valid. A non-equivalent control group design was used. The treatment school consisted of 348 student participants and 17 teacher participants in grades K–6. The control school consisted of 266 student participants and 11 teacher participants in grades K–6. Pretest and posttest teacher ratings revealed significant decreases in students’ internalizing behaviors at the treatment school, while these behaviors increased at the control school. Students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders improved significantly more than those not at risk on ratings of internalizing symptoms and prosocial behaviors, even when the intervention was delivered school-wide in all classrooms. Teachers were able to implement Strong Kids with a high level of fidelity and they held moderately favorable views of the program.

Teaching Organizational Skills to Promote Academic Achievement in Behaviorally Challenged Students

Organizational difficulties are major obstacles for many students with learning and behavior problems (Minskoff & Allsopp, 2003). These students often neglect to separate notebooks into various subject areas, forget to bring necessary items to class, and stuff assignments randomly into their book bags and pockets. Students’ disorganization, including their inability to keep track of assignments and turn them in on time, can contribute to low grades and academic failure, particularly beginning in secondary school when teacher expectations are greater and supervision of students tends to be more limited than during the elementary years. Students with learning challenges may not acquire essential skills unless they are provided with systematic direct instruction (Minskoff & Allsopp, 2003); youth who fail to apply organizational skills may not have had the opportunity to acquire them through an explicit instructional approach (Bos & Vaughn, 2006). This oversight places struggling students at increased risk for unsatisfactory or failing grades and tends to heighten misperceptions of their academic performance in relation to that of their more successful peers (Young, West, Smith & Morgan, 1991).