The article published in Behavioral Disorders discusses the possible ways to provide education for children with or at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) without detracting from the overall education quality. Zaheer et al. (2019) points out that the most obvious reaction to children with EBD is punitive measures, such as expulsion or detention, which only serves to exacerbate the problem. As an alternative, the authors codify and summarize the main evidence-based practices (EBPs) currently devised and employed to create effective classroom environments for students with EBD and monitor their individual needs. Apart from this codification, the authors also provide specific examples of integrating the listed EBPs in various real-life school settings. This combination of extensive classification and grounded examples constitutes the main strength of the article, but the lack of focus on specific EBD-related measures or effectiveness data detracts from the text’s overall quality.
One may separate the article into four main sections: introduction, classification of the EBPs, examples of utilizing the proposed EBPs in practice, and conclusions. In the introduction, the authors proclaim their intention of codifying the EBPs that can address the needs of students with or at risk of EBD based on a scholarly literature review (Zaheer et al., 2019). The nest section is the classification proper, in which the authors identify four general areas of focus. These include “creating structure and predictability, promoting positive classroom environments, using effective instructional strategies, and using assessments and data-based decision making” (Zaheer et al., 2019, p. 118). The authors discuss several EBPs within each of these areas and the specific outcomes they are meant to impact when applied. The third section provides specific examples of utilizing some of the listed EBPs in actual educational settings – namely, Centennial Schools in Pennsylvania and Springfield Public Schools in Oregon (Zaheer et al., 2019). The conclusion reiterates the challenge of educating students with EBD and advocates further research to identify additional EBPs as well as promote their practical implementation in education.
One notable strength of the article is the compact yet effective classification for various EBPs that it offers. The article’s excellent structure provides a continuous and logically flowing overview of fourteen EBPs categorized under the four strategic areas of interest listed above. Apart from merely listing these practices and providing them with a concise description, the authors supply each with a link to the targeted outcome and research support. Moreover, the authors even compile a table titled “Evidence-Based Practices for Classroom Settings” that lists all of the EBPs discussed in the span of merely two pages (Zaheer et al., 2019, pp. 119-120). The importance of this classification is so significant because it incorporates and codifies data obtained from multiple studies on the subject from the early 2000s up until this day. As a result, it provides a concise and effective overview of the EBPs for creating an effective learning environment that can, among other things, benefit the students with EBD. As such, the classification allows the article to serve as a suitable and easily accessible reference point, which is undoubtedly a benefit.
Another crucial strength of the article is that it provides examples of adopting and utilizing the EBPs in actual educational settings. Hence, they provide the two aforementioned examples of Centennial School and Springfield Public Schools to demonstrate how these EBPs may be incorporated into the educational process. For the readers’ convenience, the authors even highlight the specific EBPs as they appear in the text so that it would be even easier for the audience to identify them. This is an important strength because it transforms the article from pure theorizing on what would be good for an effectively organized classroom to a discussion in practical terms. The authors themselves acknowledge that even knowing about all the practices in their list, their application “may still feel unrealistic” to the readers (Zaheer et al., 2019, p. 123). As such, the demonstration of the proposed practices applied in an actual educational institution to create an effective learning environment is a crucial component of the text.
Speaking of the article’s weaknesses, one cannot help but notice that it lacks focus on the measures necessary to address the problems specific to children with or at risk of EBD. The article’s very first sentence is a statement that the “challenges confronting students with emotional and behavioral disorders” need to be addressed (Zaheer et al., 2019, p. 117). However, neither of the EBPs discussed focus on the issues characteristic of children with or at risk of EBD specifically. Alerting students to “behavioral expectations and rules” is not a specific intervention to improve educational outcomes for students with EBD but is just a part of the normal educational process (Zaheer et al., 2019, p. 124). Establishing routines or creating a classroom layout that “matches the mode of instruction” is just as necessary in a class where there are no students with EBD (Zaheer et al., 2019, p. 118). To put it simply, the authors do not identify concrete problems related to the students with or at risk of EBD and specific solutions to these problems. This lack of focus limits the usefulness of the article and is a weakness.
Another thing that detracts from the text’s overall quality is the absence of data on the effectiveness of the practical application of the EBPs proposed. Admittedly, the article is essentially a compilation based on a literature review, so it does not have to produce its experimental data. The authors cite research support for each of the EBPs discussed, and the readers are free to assess the results of empirical studies for themselves (Zaheer et al., 2019, pp. 119-120). However, the examples given after the classification would still benefit from at least a brief effectiveness evaluation. While the article demonstrates that certain institutions adopt the EBPs discussed, it does not clarify whether it improved the educational outcomes for children with or at risk of EBD (Zaheer et al., 2019, pp. 123-124). Consequently, the authors successfully demonstrate that the combination of the practices discussed can be put to use but leaves the audience to guess whether they should be put to use. Providing one or two negative examples of school settings that have not incorporated these EBPs and demonstrate worse educational outcomes would make this section stronger.
That being said, the article is still relevant when it comes to the practical application of the authors’ chosen EBPs in a given educational setting. Thanks to the “Exemplars” section, the text provides ample data on the matter. Some EBPs, such as creating a classroom layout corresponding to the mode of interaction, would be easy to implement as they require little more than basic spatial thinking. Others, such as screening and progress monitoring, would not be such an easy task. In this respect, Centennial’s “apprenticeship model of professional development” that trains graduate students in relevant competencies is particularly noteworthy (Zaheer et al., 2019, p. 123). Admittedly, Centennial is a school specifically intended to provide education for students “classified with emotional disturbance or autism” (Zaheer et al., 2019, p. 123). It means that its apprenticeship model will not necessarily be applicable in an ordinary public school that has no specific focus on this student group. However, the underlying core concept of learning and practicing simultaneously is fundamentally solid and arguably the best way to hone one’s skills to apply the selected EBPs in the classroom.
As one can see, “Implementation of promising practices that support students with emotional and behavioral disorders” features an excellent classification of relevant EBPs combined with implementation examples but has several weaknesses too. The article’s simple yet effective structure allows the author to cover the fourteen chosen practices in some detail and conclude with the necessity of adding more to the list. The classification provided by the authors is a useful and practical guide through the EBPs proposed, and examples illustrate their implementation in practice well. At the same time, the text lacks focus on the measures needed to address students with or at risk of EBD. Similarly, it does not provide negative examples that can serve as a counterpoint to the positive ones. With this in mind, the article still offers plentiful data on the chosen set of EBPs and provides substantial food for thought regarding their practical implementation in a given classroom.
Reference
Zaheer, E., Maggin, D., McDaniel, S., McIntosh, K., Rodriguez, B. J., & Fogt, J. B. (2019). Implementation of promising practices that support students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 44(2), 117-128.