Abstract
We are confident that this series of special topics articles is both timely and useful for any educator teaching students with or at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The articles are timely in that their authors make clear the link between research and practice for specific classroom management skills, such as delivering precorrection or behavior-specific praise. The pieces also demonstrate how practitioner journals can be used to effectively translate research into practice for teachers in the field (Hott, Berkeley, Raymond, & Reid, 2018). These articles are also extremely useful given they provide practitioners with specific actions that can be taken to readily implement effective research-based behavior management practices in classroom settings.
In 2014, a working group of practitioners was convened by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to discuss ways to better translate research to practice. A summary of the group’s discussion indicated that disseminated products would be more helpful if they evaluated the quality of the research evidence for a practice and translated research findings into “simple, clear, repeatable actions that lead to better student outcomes” (IES, 2014, p. 2). As you read the articles in the special series on effective, low-intensity strategies to enhance school success, you will note both the concise and clear evaluation of the available research and the step-by-step directions for how to successfully implement a research-informed practice.
The research collaborative for this special issue led by Dr. Kathleen Lane delivers a series of articles that provide a host of educational stakeholders, including teachers, behavior specialists, and parents, with critical information needed to improve teaching skill and student engagement in classroom and other school-based settings. The collaborative articles identify specific teaching skills and systematically provide definitions, examples and nonexamples, critical reviews of the available research, step-by-step implementation directions, and practical tips gleaned from research and practice. The special series also includes an introduction that provides a host of additional resources that practitioners can access to further enhance their knowledge and expertise. These articles are followed by a commentary by Dr. Jennifer Freeman on the impact that the application of research-based classroom management practices can have on student outcomes, teachers, and schools.