This archival small-study meta-analysis was an examination of the across-study and in-study effects of functional behavioral assessment--based interventions on time-on-task for students with or at risk of emotional disturbance (ED)/emotional behavioral disorder (EBD). A sample of 15 across-study K-6 learners (11 males, 4 females; ages 5-13) was drawn from a 2016 What Works Clearinghouse prescreened intervention report. Five areas of need emerged: (a) philosophical/ methodological reprioritizations (dignity and self-determination vs. oppression/control; strength-based vs. deficit-based perspectives; intrinsic vs. behavioral/extrinsic; and time-on-task as synonymous to participation per the World Health Organization's biopsychosocial classification model; (b) implementation of interventions emphasizing caring/power with vs. power over, hope vs. despair, and "feel-good" vs. "feel-bad" education; (c) practitioner mindset-shifts repositioning learning as both fueled by intrinsic motivation and as fuel igniting curiosity and creativity, with teachers as co-learners/encouragers and lessons as authentic interactions fostering student agency, inquiry, and creativity; (d) associated policy and training support to optimize ED/EBD successes, including a revision of federal mandates calling solely for functional behavioral assessment--based interventions and the promotion of ED/EBD teacher practices that embed individualized modifications that incorporate student preferences and interests into curricular learning activities and implicitly spark intrinsic motivation; and (e) recommendations for further research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]