Importance of Student Social Behavior in the Mission Statements, Personnel Preparation Standards, and Innovation Efforts of State Departments of Education

Abstract

We examined the extent to which state departments of education are including (a) goals for student social behavior in their mission statements; (b) criteria for individual student, classroom, and schoolwide behavior support in certification standards for general education teachers, special education teachers, and principals; and (c) state initiatives focused on improving student social behavior. Web-based information from state departments of education from all 50 states and from the District of Columbia were reviewed in the fall of 2004. Results indicated that only 16 states (31%) include a focus on student social behavior in their mission statements. Individual student behavior support practices were identified in the curriculum for general educators in 30 (59%) states and for special educators in 39 (76%) states. Classroom behavior support practices were required for general education teachers in 39 (76%) states and for special educators in 40 (78%) states. Schoolwide behavior support practices were most likely to be required for principal certification, and they were formally identified in 20 (39%) of the states surveyed. Character education was the most common state initiative cited for improving social behavior in schools.

Behavior problems and children's academic achievement: A test of growth-curve models with gender and racial differences

“…To address these challenges and meet the requirements of NCLB, many schools have adopted multi-tiered systems of support for students who have academic difficulties as well as systems for students who have behavioral difficulties (Doolittle, Horner, Bradley, & Vincent, 2007; Spectrum K12, 2009). These systems are often referred to as a Response to Intervention (RtI) framework within the academic domain and Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) within the behavioral domain (Sugai & Horner, 2009).…”

A Review of State-Level Procedural Guidance for Implementing Multitiered Systems of Support for Behavior (MTSS-B)

“…Policies communicate a vision for where practice is or should be moving (Cohen & Ball, 1990), whereas guidance documents facilitate building a shared understanding of what best practices should look like to support local understanding and implementation (National Center on Response to Intervention, 2010). Clear recommendations put forth at the federal and state levels therefore have the power to influence day-to-day school practices, provided that sufficient training and supports are put into place locally (Doolittle, Horner, Bradley, Sugai, & Vincent, 2007). For example, the history of federal legislation regarding school wellness policy addressing nutrition and physical domains has demonstrated improved quality of state policy and subsequent district goals (e.g., Piekarz et al, 2016), and that state laws do impact school practices in favor of increased best practices (e.g., Turner et al, 2018).…”

“…Although guidance regarding implementation of a PBIS framework has been provided at the national level through the Technical Assistance Center, much of the authority for directing local education practice within the United States lies at the state level (Cohen & Spillane, 1992). As noted by Doolittle and colleagues (2007), “a central assumption of any state department of education is that recommendations, guidelines, regulations, laws, and initiatives developed by the state will influence educational practices available in schools” (p. 239). To date, however, little is known about the guidance provided by state departments of education regarding the implementation of MTSS-B.…”

O Contributo Da Educação Física Para a Formação De Indivíduos Fisicamente Cultos: Uma Perspetiva Portuguesa

“…Assim, se queremos que os alunos passem do "jogo no ecrã" para os campos de jogos, a Educação Física terá de ser acompanhada de melhorias da qualidade dos processos de ensino e aprendizagem, designadamente pelo recurso a diferentes modelos de ensino que possam servir de apoio à transformação dos discursos e das respetivas práticas, assim como à reconfiguração dos papéis, das responsabilidades e das relações entre os seus atores (BATISTA; QUEIRÓS, 2015). É fundamental, portanto, que os alunos entendam as aprendizagens em Educação Física como significativas, para que autores como Doolittle et al (2007), não se questionem sobre o valor e pertinência da disciplina enquanto obrigatória ao longo da escolaridade, em resultado da dificuldade dos professores conseguirem provar os benefícios concretos da sua ação a alunos, pais, colegas das outras áreas, órgãos de gestão das escolas e demais autoridades.…”