Supporting Students with Emotional and Behavioral Problems

Prevention and Intervention Strategies

by
Lee Kern, Ph.D.
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Michael P. George, Ed.D.
Centennial School of Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
And
Mark D. Weist, Ph.D.
University of South Carolina
Baltimore • London • Sydney

Contents

• About the Forms
• About the Authors
• Foreword Tim Lewis
• Foreword Susan Rodger
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• 1. School Behavior Problems and Models of Prevention and Intervention
• 2. Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support
• 3. Assessing the Classroom Environment
• 4. Managing Classroom Behavior
• 5. Effective Instructional Practices
• 6. Promoting Student Social Skills
• 7. Preparing for Intensive Intervention
• 8. Conducting a Functional Behavioral Assessment
• 9. Developing an Assessment-Based Support Plan
• 10. Measuring Behavior Change
• 11. Enhancing Student Connectedness to School
• 12. Interventions to Address Mental Health Needs
• Index

Enhancing Student Connectedness to School

The Importance of Student Connectedness

In one of the largest studies on student health, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Resnick et al., 1997), more than 36,000 students from 7th through 12th grades were surveyed on risk, protective, and personal adjustment factors. A range of individual, family, and school factors were found to be associated with positive student adjustment including school connectedness, family–child connectedness, high expectations among parents for school achievement, and student involvement in religious activities.

Student connectedness to school was found to be the most powerful factor in protecting male and female students from substance use, early sexual involvement, excessive school absences, and exposure to injury and violence (Resnick et al., 1997).

General Themes in Promoting Student Connectedness

Strategies described in this section are based on the presumption that:

1. The school is committed to enhancing student connectedness.
2. There is a team of interdisciplinary staff that is meeting regularly and guiding implementation and ongoing quality improvement of student support.

The CDC identified four critical themes to enhance student connectedness:

1. Support offered to students by adults.
2. Student belongingness to a positive peer group.
3. Student commitment to education.
4. A positive school environment.

Tier 1 Strategies to Increase Student Connectedness

1. Parent or Family Involvement in School: The more parents and family members are involved in school and their child’s education, the better the outcomes are for individual students.
2. Enhancing Protective Factors: Schools can employ protective factors such as supportive and caring teachers, high school expectations, orderly school environments, and clear expectations for student behavior.
3. Improving Classroom Environments: The classroom environment has an important influence on students’ feelings of connectedness. Constructive classroom climates promote student academic engagement.

Enhancing Student Aspirations

The Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations (QISA) emphasizes enabling students to pursue their aspirations and feel a sense of empowerment and leadership within the school environment. The eight conditions that promote student aspirations include belonging, heroes, sense of accomplishment, fun in school, curiosity, leadership and responsibility, and confidence to take action.

Tier 2 Strategies to Increase Student Connectedness

1. Reducing the Impact of Risk Factors: Schools should develop procedures to identify students likely to experience risk factors.
2. Mentoring Programs: Structured mentoring has been shown to enhance school engagement and improve students’ performance.
3. Addressing and Reducing Student Conflict: It is crucial to implement strategies to manage student conflicts, including bullying prevention initiatives using frameworks like SWPBS.

Tier 3 Strategies to Increase Student Connectedness

Students with significant emotional and behavioral issues require more intensive support. Effective interventions often involve fostering collaborative relationships with students and their families and addressing individual needs through specialized services.

Increasing Relationships Among Schools and Other Youth-Serving Systems

Effective student wellness initiatives involve collaboration among schools, juvenile justice, child welfare, health care, and developmental disability systems to meet broader youth needs and establish a shared agenda for student success.

Summary

Student connectedness to school fosters success, and teachers play a critical role through supportive interactions. Many strategies can improve student connections, from enhancing protective factors to developing school-family collaborations.