Urban elementary school teachers face many challenges in the classroom. Addressing challenging student behaviors is one of these challenges. Challenging student behaviors, which include disruptive behaviors such as noncompliance and verbal aggression, can impede student engagement, and if students are not engaged, their learning is stymied.…

This study aimed to understand how student behavior (e.g., attendance, discipline, and academics) and student characteristics (e.g., gender and ethnicity) influence teacher endorsements on behavioral screening tools often used to make school-based diagnostic and classification decisions about students. During the 2013-2014 second semester, from…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders often need behavioral supports to facilitate their success in the classroom. One commonly used intervention involves taking brief breaks at targeted times during the day to return to the classroom better prepared for participation. However, research is limited on what should happen while a student…

Glasses wearing at school remains low even when glasses are provided. This study investigated whether a classroom intervention to promote glasses wearing was associated with increased glasses wearing and improved classroom behavior. A pretest, posttest design was implemented with 44 students in Grades 1-4 at an urban public elementary school. Over…

Delayed, as opposed to immediate, gratification is generally understood to indicate adaptive development. The present study investigates performance on a choice-based delay of gratification measure and its relations with other outcomes in a sample of children of color from low-income families, who are underrepresented in delayed gratification…

The current study examined the relationship between teachers' cultural competence and Multitiered System of Supports (MTSS) referrals for students belonging to racial/ethnic minority groups. Teachers serving grades kindergarten through five in two schools in a large, urban school district in Connecticut participated in the study. MTSS referrals…

Social-behavioral functioning during early childhood is associated with children's academic and social success concurrently and over time. This study explored how concurrent, year-to-year, and sustained parent--teacher and student--teacher relationships predicted children's social skills and problem behaviors across the preschool to Grade 1…

Mental health, social-emotional disparity, and the woes of not self-regulating or controlling one's mental well-being are significant factors that educational institutions are fighting to manage daily. What common thread can be used to stitch or heal the emptiness that so many urban elementary school students experience on a given day? This…

We conducted a preliminary investigation of a randomized dependent group contingency to decrease disruptive behavior during hallway transitions. Two first-graders, identified by their classroom teacher, participated in this study. A multiple baseline across transitions was used to evaluate the effects of the randomized dependent group contingency…

Based on a Response to Intervention framework, this study examines whether a clinical significance methodology is useful for placing children in Tier 2 interventions for school-based social-emotional learning. Data from INSIGHTS Into Children's Temperament, a Tier-1 intervention, was analyzed to assess practical considerations and limitations…

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief and feasible universal screener for kindergarten readiness for predicting follow-up outcomes in first grade. Participants included kindergarten and first-grade teachers and students from 6 urban elementary schools. Students included slightly more males than females (54%;…

This group randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated the efficacy of Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Program (IY TCM) on student social behavioral and academic outcomes among a large diverse sample of students within an urban context. Participants included 105 teachers and 1817 students in kindergarten to third grade. Three-level…

The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of an evidence-based treatment, the Incredible Years® (IY) Small Group Dina Dinosaur Treatment program, as delivered in elementary schools to address the needs of children in kindergarten through second grade with self-regulation difficulties. Adaptations for school-based delivery of 17…

Punitive discipline strategies based on removal of students from the classroom may prevent the creation of effective and safe learning environments. Research indicates that punishment has traditionally been viewed as preventative, serving as a means of controlling unacceptable behavior. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to…

A wide and rich body of literature has identified the family as the key context influencing children's development. In response, school districts and policymakers have sought to engage parents in children's learning, particularly low-income families. Meta-analyses conclude that efforts to engage low-income parents do improve students' academic…