Search

The middle school transition year poses known challenges to early adolescent adjustment, particularly for students from ethnic and racial minoritized backgrounds who face ethnic and racial discrimination from school personnel and classmates. Drawing on a sample of 711 African American and Latinx sixth-grade students attending 17 schools, we employed latent class analysis and latent transition analysis to explore the nature of and changes to perceived ethnic and racial discrimination during the beginning and end of sixth grade. We also examined the possibility that perceived ethnic-racial discrimination could be diminished through a school-based, universal program for teachers to improve the school ecology. Findings revealed four distinct classes concerning perceived ethnic-racial discrimination, with patterns over time highlighting the malleability of perceived ethnic-racial discrimination during the first year of middle school. Findings provide direct implications for understanding and improving ethnic and racial minoritized students' school experiences at the middle school transition.

Rural schools experience difficulty in filling teaching positions at higher rates than non-rural schools. Recruiting and retaining teachers are critical in these districts; however, because the term "rural" is variable, a one-size-fits-all response is not possible. Rural communities tend to be geographically remote, have a low critical mass of students with distinct disabilities, and have relatively few resources to provide differential support for students. In this context, special educators may find themselves in circumstances where they operate as general specialists who are responsible for addressing a broad range of student needs without the support of other related service providers (e.g., school psychologists, curriculum specialists, school counselors, speech and language pathologists). Garwood's article [EJ1379709] provides a catalyst to consider ecological system factors that affect burnout, attrition, and, as a consequence, instruction, particularly for students with disabilities. In this response, we view this issue from a perspective of rural schools, where the system contexts are varied and directly impact teacher-level variables, such as the ability to implement evidence-based practices (EBPs) with fidelity. Taking a developmental systems approach, we describe what makes rural settings unique and how these characteristics interact with the critical features of EBPs, as well as suggest how preparation and induction programs might better prepare and sustain teachers to adapt instruction to these rural contexts. We conclude with implications for practice and policy.

Although tremendous advances have been made in the development of evidence-based services and strategies to prevent and treat emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs) in children, often such programs may be necessary but not sufficient to address the circumstances and needs of a specific student. The purpose of this introductory article and this broader special issue on the adaptation and individualization of evidence-based approaches for students with EBD is to consider innovations for tailoring multifactored interventions within tiered systems of support. In this article, we discuss potential ways that current tiered models may be strengthened using information and research strategies from developmental science to more rigorously link intervention to long-term outcomes of youth. We center this discussion on the concepts of developmental cascades and correlated constraints. We then present Tiered Systems of Adaptive Supports (TSAS) as a framework that is developmentally informed to guide individualized intervention. In this model, Tier 1 focuses on adapting general classroom strategies to support the routine daily functioning of all students; Tier 2 focuses on preventing the negative reorganization of a student's developmental system; and Tier 3 focuses on promoting the positive reorganization of a student's developmental system.

Perceptions of the ecology and middle school transition are examined in relation to interpersonal competence patterns (ICPs) of approximately 3,000 sixth graders (46.2% boys) including 415 students with disabilities from 26 metropolitan schools. Teacher ratings of students' academic competence, externalizing and internalizing behavior, popularity, physical attractiveness/athletic ability, and friendliness are used to determine students' ICPs. Using latent profile analyses, distinct ICPs are identified, including Model (high adaptive), Average, Tough (popular-aggressive), Passive (shy, withdrawn), and Troubled (low adaptive) for boys and girls, respectively. Although students with disabilities are overrepresented in Passive and Troubled ICPs and underrepresented in the Model ICP, 804 students without disabilities (367 boys) were identified in risk ICPs (i.e., Passive, Tough, Troubled) compared with 197 students with disabilities (128 boys). Risk ICPs are differentially associated with students' perceptions of the school ecology and the transition experience of students with disabilities. Implications for Multitiered Systems of Support and the tailoring of interventions are considered.

Although there have been several advances in the development of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to support students with disabilities, many rural schools struggle to use EBPs. Rural schools may experience challenges that constrain their potential to provide support for the implementation of EBPs. Furthermore, there may be a mismatch between EBPs and the circumstances, resources, and needs of many rural schools. Directed consultation is an intervention support framework designed to adapt the use of EBPs by using local data and stakeholders' insights to align strategies to the unique features and needs of rural schools, teachers, and students. This article considers the use of directed consultation to support the individualization and intensification of intervention for students with disabilities in rural schools. The establishment of rural research-practitioner partnerships is also discussed with the goal of developing a broad range of directed consultation content and delivery approaches.

The "invisible hand" is a metaphor that refers to teachers' impact on the classroom peer ecology. Although teachers have the capacity to organize the classroom environment and activities in ways that contribute to students' social experiences, their contributions are often overlooked in research on students' peer relations and the development of social interventions. To address this, researchers have begun to focus on clarifying strategies to manage classroom social dynamics. The goal of this article is to consider potential contributions of this perspective for understanding the social experiences of students with disabilities and to explore associated implications for the delivery of classroom-focused interventions to support their adaptation. Conceptual foundations of classroom social dynamics management and empirical research on the peer relationships of students with disabilities are outlined and the potential of the concept of the "invisible hand" is discussed in relation to other social support interventions for students with disabilities.

Teachers are often at the forefront of efforts to help students struggling socially at school and their support may be particularly critical during the early adolescent developmental period after youth transition to middle school when social concerns become increasingly salient to students. Given their daily interactions with students, teachers have the unique opportunity to observe students' day-to-day experiences and can provide insight into the social challenges their students face. Our main study aim was to learn teachers' perspectives about the pressing social issues they see for students, the types of strategies they use to mitigate those struggles, and the barriers teachers face in supporting youth socially. To assess teachers' perspectives, we employed a qualitative study design and collected data from 39 middle school teachers who participated in 6 focus groups. Results reveal that teachers see students as highly concerned with peer acceptance, often at the cost of their academic engagement. To support students socially, teachers reported strategies such as establishing classroom expectations, having positive teacher-student interactions, and managing peer social dynamics. Barriers to providing support included difficulty keeping track of peer relationship and lack of understanding about how best to manage peer dynamics. Implications for teacher training and students' overall adjustment at school are discussed.

The present study examined the effects of teacher attunement to victimization on student perceptions of the bullying culture of their schools as a means of fostering a sense of belonging among early adolescents. Participants (n = 1,264) in sixth grade reported on the frequency that they had been bullied, and teachers were asked to report students who were "picked on." Teacher attunement represented the correspondence between self-identified and teacher-identified victims. Attunement at the beginning of the school year was related to positive changes in student reports that their peers would intervene in bullying; in turn, sense of belonging was greater when students perceived that their peers would intervene in bullying. Teacher attunement was indirectly related to greater belonging through its impact on student perceptions of the bullying context. [This article was published in "Journal of Early Adolescence," v36 n7 p989-1009 Oct 2016 (EJ1112554).]

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of a professional development program on sixth grade teachers' use of social dynamics management (SDM) practices. SDM practices represent teachers' active attempts to incorporate classroom social dynamics into everyday instructional and behavior management strategies. Sixth grade teachers (n = 17) from two middle schools were randomly assigned to receive the Supporting Early Adolescent Learning and Social Success (SEALS) or to a business-as-usual control condition. Teachers who received the training and consultation provided by SEALS reported more frequent use of SDM practices aimed at managing the general social dynamics of their students and supporting youth who are socially isolated. The latter effect was maintained at a post-intervention follow-up. These results build on a growing body of research on the role of teachers in shaping their students' peer relationships.

This study examines the ties of sixth-grade teachers to their interdisciplinary team colleagues and explores the dimensions of their efficacy beliefs for their own and their colleagues' teaching. Teachers (n = 238; 83% female, 88% White) from 26 middle schools completed surveys about the relational aspects of ties to team colleagues, the dimensions of their sense of efficacy for teaching, and their perceptions of team members' collective efficacy at fall, winter, and spring of one school year. Greater tie strength in fall predicted greater relational trust at winter and spring. Tie strength to teammates in fall predicted greater efficacy beliefs for classroom management and collective efficacy across the year, through greater relational trust midway through the year. The findings expand theorizing and reveal organizational processes that may be used to leverage teacher efficacy beliefs.

We present a dynamic systems perspective for the intensification of interventions for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). With this framework, we suggest behavior involves the contributions of multiple factors and reflects the interplay between the characteristics of the student and the ecologies in which he or she is embedded. Building from a discussion of the application of dynamic systems theory to ecological intervention, we propose four types of data are needed to guide intervention intensification: universal/probabilistic knowledge and strategies, implementation science practice elements, person-oriented developmental analysis, and person-in-context interactional analyses. We discuss practice implications and propose two types of specialists: "intervention specialists" who provide direct services and have expertise adapting interventions across the academic, behavioral, and social domains and "intervention specialist coordinators" who direct intervention intensification activities across service sectors and design and monitor long-term intervention plans focused on developmentally relevant outcomes. Finally, we consider implications for research and professional development. [This article was published in "Journal of Emotional Behavioral Disorders" (EJ1110029).]

Although advances have been made in educational research, broad discrepancies continue in the educational experiences and outcomes of subgroups of youth. Research that focus on "what works" and tiered-models of evidence-based practices may not be well suited for tailoring interventions to support diverse learners. Building from dynamic systems and ecological perspectives of development, this article considers how educational research can be reformed to be responsive to cultural and ecological factors that impact the relevance of educational practices and student outcomes. Research is needed that fosters supported professionalism for teachers and promotes their expertise to use data to adapt interventions to the needs of subgroups. It is suggested that tiered systems of adaptive supports can be developed to better align practice elements of evidence-based interventions to developmental factors that contribute to the adaptation and outcomes of students with diverse learning needs.

This study examined whether teachers perceived difference between youth with divergent self- and peer-reports of victimization who exhibit varying patterns of adjustment. Using an ethnically diverse sample of 1360 students from 5th grade classrooms (M[subscript age] = 12.01) in rural schools across the USA, we examined teachers' perceptions of four different victim groups identified using latent profile analysis: "convergent victims" (high self- and peer-reports of victimization), "self-identified victims" (high self-, low peer-reports), "peer-identified victims" (high peer-, low self-reports), and "nonvictims" (low self- and peer-reports). We found that teachers perceived meaningful differences between victim groups on academic (e.g., problems paying attention), social (e.g., popularity, liked by peers), behavioral (e.g., aggression), and psychological (i.e., internalizing) indices as well as students' involvement in bullying. Key findings include that convergent victims had more problems academically (i.e., paying attention in class) and were more frequently bullied compared to all other victim groups according to teachers. Teachers also viewed self-identified victims as having more psychological problems and as being more frequently bullied than nonvictims, although they perceived no differences between self-identified victims and nonvictims on indices of social functioning such as popularity, whether they were liked by peers, or whether they were a class leader. Implications for our understanding of different types of victims and suggestions for how teachers and school personnel may support them are discussed.

Purpose: This study examined whether college students with developmental language disorder (DLD) showed similar sensitivity to verb bias information during real-time sentence processing as typically developing (TD) peers. Method: Seventeen college students with DLD and 16 TD college students participated in a mouse-tracking experiment that utilized the visual world paradigm to examine real-time sentence processing. In experimental trials, participants chose 1 of 2 pictured interpretations of a sentence. Measures of interest were the choice of interpretation and the amount of competition from the unchosen picture as measured by mouse curvature. Results: Choice of interpretation and mouse movements by college students with DLD suggested less sensitivity to verb bias information than their TD peers. Conclusion: College students with DLD showed less evidence of sensitivity to verb bias information than their TD peers in this task. Their performance may reflect the use of compensatory processing strategies and may be related to poor comprehension abilities often observed in this population.

Classroom social integration with peers is vital to students' school success, and all students can benefit from contact with peers who are different in various ways. Teachers are uniquely positioned to support the social adaptation of diverse learners but require an understanding of classroom dynamics. Moreover, teachers need strategies that help to leverage positive peer dynamics and that promote an engaged classroom climate for all students. Reflecting a person-in-context perspective, this review discusses the peer relations and social adjustment of students, particularly in classrooms with a diverse range of student characteristics and instructional needs, and proposes that teachers' use of social dynamics management strategies can foster classroom communities that support the involvement and adjustment of all students.

More than a buzzword, teacher burnout captures the zeitgeist of the last few years as schools grapple with the challenges of education in a post-COVID-19 pandemic world. Garwood sounds an alarm and issues a call to action to address teacher burnout given its implications on students in general and, more specifically, on its implications for the fidelity of service delivery interventions for those students most in need. Of the malleable factors related to burnout, this article focused on teachers' capacity to manage classroom behavior and discusses the potential of the Behavioral, Academic, and Social Engagement (BASE) Model to disrupt processes that can lead to teacher burnout. To illustrate the model's potential, we present perspectives from middle school teachers shared in focus groups about challenging classroom behaviors and their professional development needs, and we discuss how the BASE Model can help address teachers' capacity for managing their classroom context. Implications for teacher training and supported professionalism to reduce burnout are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the need for interventions to support students who are taking advanced placement courses in small rural districts and describes the Facilitator Preparation Program (FPP) as a strategy to address this need. Issues in the delivery of Online Distance Education (ODE) in small rural schools are summarized and the conceptual foundations and service delivery considerations of the FPP are outlined. Future research needs are also considered.

Purpose: This study examined whether children and adults with developmental language disorder (DLD) could use distributional information in an artificial language to learn about grammatical category membership similarly to their typically developing (TD) peers and whether developmental differences existed within and between DLD and TD groups. Method: Sixteen children ages 7-9 with DLD, 26 age-matched TD children, 17 college students with DLD, and 17 TD college students participated in this task. We used an artificial grammar learning paradigm in which participants had to use knowledge of category membership to determine the acceptability of test items that they had not heard during a training phase. Results: Individuals with DLD performed similarly to TD peers in distinguishing grammatical from ungrammatical combinations, with no differences between age groups. The order in which items were heard at test differentially affected child versus adult participants and showed a relation with attention and phonological working memory as well. Conclusion: Differences in ratings between grammatical and ungrammatical items in this task suggest that individuals with DLD can form grammatical categories from novel input and more broadly use distributional information. Differences in order effects suggest a developmental timeline for sensitivity to updating distributional information.

The goal of this study was to determine if typically developing children could form grammatical categories from distributional information alone. Twenty-seven children aged six to nine listened to an artifcial grammar which contained strategic gaps in its distribution. At test, we compared how children rated novel sentences that ft the grammar to sentences that were ungrammatical. Sentences could be distinguished only through the formation of categories of words with shared distributional properties. Children's ratings revealed that they could discriminate grammatical and ungrammatical sentences. These data lend support to the hypothesis that distributional learning is a potential mechanism for learning grammatical categories in a first language.

Purpose: This study examined whether college students with developmental language disorder (DLD) could use distributional information in an artificial language to learn about grammatical category membership in a way similar to their typically developing (TD) peers. Method: Seventeen college students with DLD and 17 TD college students participated in this task. We used an artificial grammar in which certain combinations of words never occurred during training. At test, participants had to use knowledge of category membership to determine which combinations were allowable in the grammar, even though they had not been heard. Results: College students with DLD performed similarly to TD peers in distinguishing grammatical from ungrammatical combinations. Conclusion: Differences in ratings between grammatical and ungrammatical items in this task suggest that college students with DLD can form grammatical categories from novel input and more broadly use distributional information.

Adequate yearly progress (AYP) on No Child Left Behind criteria was examined for a randomly selected sample of districts that qualify for the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP). The sample involved 10% of districts that were eligible for the Small Rural Schools Achievement (SRSA) program and 10% that were eligible for the Rural and Low-income Schools (RLIS) program. Based on district reports, nearly 80% of SRSA schools made AYP, 11% failed, and 11% did not have adequate data. For schools in the RLIS program, districts reported that 65% made AYP, 29% failed, and 6% did not report adequate data. The SRSA and RLIS samples had different patterns for the categories of students that did not make AYP. Also, SRSA and RLIS districts were differentially distributed across the United States. Implications for interventions are discussed. (Contains 3 tables and 4 figures.)

This study investigates the degree to which native-English-speaking learners of Spanish can generate expectations for information likely to occur in upcoming portions of an unfolding linguistic signal. We examine Spanish clitic left dislocation, a long-distance dependency between a topicalized object and an agreeing clitic, whose felicity depends on the discourse. Using a self-paced reading task, we tested the predictions of the shallow structure hypothesis (Clahsen & Felser, 2006a, 2006b) and the reduced ability to generate expectations hypothesis (Grüter, Rohde, & Schafer, 2014). Learners successfully demonstrated sensitivity to the violation of expectations set up by the syntactic and discourse context. In addition, the behavior of the second language (L2) learners was dependent on proficiency: the higher their proficiency, the more their behavior mirrored native-speaker processing. These results support a view of SLA in which knowledge of L2 discourse-grammatical relationships is acquired slowly over the course of L2 learning.

Purpose: This study examined whether college students with developmental language disorder (DLD) showed similar sensitivity to verb bias information during real-time sentence processing as typically developing (TD) peers. Method: Seventeen college students with DLD and 16 TD college students participated in a mouse-tracking experiment that utilized the visual world paradigm to examine real-time sentence processing. In experimental trials, participants chose 1 of 2 pictured interpretations of a sentence. Measures of interest were the choice of interpretation and the amount of competition from the unchosen picture as measured by mouse curvature. Results: Choice of interpretation and mouse movements by college students with DLD suggested less sensitivity to verb bias information than their TD peers. Conclusion: College students with DLD showed less evidence of sensitivity to verb bias information than their TD peers in this task. Their performance may reflect the use of compensatory processing strategies and may be related to poor comprehension abilities often observed in this population., To comprehend spoken language in real time, the brain does some predicting along the way. Imagine hearing the beginning of a sentence, 'He said he wants--.' Probability-based expectations can arise [...]

This describes the "scouting report" as an approach that social and behavior intervention specialists can use to help middle-level teachers create social contexts that support productive social roles and relationships of students with disabilities. Building from research on early adolescent social dynamics and context-based interventions to support students' adjustment in middle-level classrooms, this manuscript describes the scouting report approach as an information collection process that can be used to (a) guide the selection and tailoring of evidence-based interventions to address the social difficulties and support needs of students with disabilities and (b) manage general social dynamics in ways that promote a positive peer culture across the classroom. A step-by-step description of the scouting report process is presented along with sample scenarios to help guide intervention specialists as they provide consultation support to middle-level general education teachers who serve students with disabilities in their classes.

The present study examined the effects of teacher attunement to victimization on student perceptions of the bullying culture of their schools as a means of fostering a sense of belonging among early adolescents. Participants (n = 1,264) in sixth grade reported on the frequency that they had been bullied, and teachers were asked to report students who were "picked on." Teacher attunement represented the correspondence between self-identified and teacher-identified victims. Attunement at the beginning of the school year was related to positive changes in student reports that their peers would intervene in bullying; in turn, sense of belonging was greater when students perceived that their peers would intervene in bullying. Teacher attunement was indirectly related to greater belonging through its impact on student perceptions of the bullying context.