PRESCHOOL TEACHERS’ USE OF PRAISE IN GENERAL,AT‐RISK,AND SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS

Teacher praise is an effective strategy that decreases preschool students’ disruptive behavior. It is well established that school‐aged students with behavior problems receive fewer teacher praises than their peers; however, it is unclear whether these findings are consistent among preschool students. The purpose of this study was to collect praise frequency data in general, at‐risk, and special education classrooms. Over 10 hours of direct observation data were used to examine six preschool teachers’ natural use of praise. Teachers’ use of praise was not statistically different based on classroom type; however, special education teachers used twice as many praises compared to general education and at‐risk teachers. Teachers used more general praise compared to behavior‐specific praise, which was statistically significant. Finally, teachers delivered more praise to individual and large groups of students compared to small groups of students, which was also statistically significant. Future directions and implications for using praise to prevent behavior problems among preschool students are offered.     

Adopted and permanently placed children in education: from rainbows to reality

Children who leave care into adoption and special guardianship are often considered by schools and local authorities to have found their “happy ending.” Yet there is growing evidence that the impact of prenatal and early trauma, abuse and neglect does not disappear upon placement in a permanent family. Rates of social, emotional and mental health difficulties remain high, and the group has pronounced educational needs. Whilst having high levels of involvement with education and health services, families report significant difficulties in mobilising understanding, support and provision. In the context of growing numbers of children in England finding permanence through adoption and special guardianship, and the Department for Education’s increasing focus on addressing the needs of this group, this paper highlights the key role of Educational Psychology Services in supporting adopted and other permanently placed children by providing training, consultation, assessment, intervention and research for children and their families, their schools, and the local authorities.     

Comparison of the effects of mainstream and special school on National Curriculum outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder: an archive‐based analysis

The literature dealing with the inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mainstream schools has increased over recent years, propelled by the argument that it will improve the quality of life, educational performance and social development of ‘included’ children. This area of research is currently an important one for the development of policy and practice. The literature on inclusion dealing with the inclusion of children with ASD is limited, so the implementation of inclusion has preceded research. The current study investigated whether children in mainstream placements show enhanced performance, relative to those in specialist provisions. The study used a combination of primary and secondary data analysis to explore the impact of inclusion on children with ASD in four authorities in the south east of England. The results suggest that mainstream children have no greater academic success than children in specialist provision. The study suggests that a number of specific provisions are involved in promoting success, such as Speech and Language Therapy, and the impact of Learning Support Assistants, and these are also reviewed and discussed.     

The relation of attachment security to adolescents' paternal and peer relationships, depression, and externalizing behavior

The relation of attachment security to multiple domains of psychosocial functioning was examined in a community sample of 167 early adolescents. Security of attachment organization, assessed using the Adult Attachment Interview, was linked to success in establishing autonomy while maintaining a sense of relatedness both with fathers and with peers, even after accounting for predictions from qualities of the mother-teen relationship. Growth curve analyses revealed links of insecurity to increasing patterns of externalizing behavior and higher and stable patterns of depressive symptoms across adolescence. Implications for a developing theory of the connections of the attachment system to multiple domains of functioning in adolescence are discussed.     

Career oriented and university bound: higher education outcomes of IB Career-related Programme graduates in the US

The Career-related Programme (CP) is an innovative education programme by the International Baccalaureate (IB). Designed to promote college and career readiness equally in the last two years of high school, the CP combines rigorous university preparatory coursework with targeted career-related studies. This study examines the patterns of higher education enrolment, destination and persistence of all CP graduates from high schools in the US between 2013 and 2015. The results indicate that CP graduates enrol in higher education at higher rates than do all high school graduates nationally and career and technical education concentrators specifically: 81% versus 68% versus 70%, respectively. They persist for 1 year at higher rates than do all high school graduates: 89% versus 72%, respectively. Results of logistic regression show that the number of IB exams and the completion of the CP certificate are significant predictors of postsecondary enrolment and that higher mean IB exam scores predict higher odds of a student attending a 4-year institution over a 2-year institution. The results suggest that students who engage in career and technical education alongside rigorous university preparatory coursework within the CP are well-prepared to succeed in higher education.     

Internalizing symptoms of gifted and non-gifted elementary-age students: A comparative validity study using the Internalizing Symptoms Scale for Children

As part of the validation research process for a new self-report social-emotional test for children, internalizing social-emotional symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, somatic complaints, positive and negative affectivity) of a group of elementary-age gifted students (n = 65) were contrasted with those of a carefully matched (by gender and age) comparison group of non-gifted students (n = 65). Subjects completed the Internalizing Symptoms Scale for Children (ISSC) (Merrell & Walters, 1996), a self-report measure of internalizing symptoms, affect, and cognition. The gifted students reported significantly fewer internalizing symptoms than did the comparison group. An analysis of critical items separating the two groups indicated that the gifted students differed most substantially from their non-gifted peers on ISSC items that relate to self-efficacy and perceived self-importance. Although these types of self-perceptions are considered to be a peripheral rather than a central component of specific internalizing disorders, it is hypothesized that their positive presence in children may act as a “buffering” factor, possibly insulating children from insults to their social-emotional functioning that may lead to the development of internalizing forms of psychopathology. The results of this investigation are discussed in terms of their relationship to conflicting previous research in this area, to future research needs in the study of social-emotional symptoms and development of gifted children, and in terms of the construct validity evidence for the ISSC. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.