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Academic Achievement of K-12 Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders


File number :
CS-PC-25e

Bibliographic reference :
Nelson, J.R., Benner, G.J., & Smith, B.W. (2004). Academic Achievement of K-12 Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Exceptional Children, 71(1), 59-73.

Abstract :

Aim of Study
This American study focused on the level of academic achievement of students with emotional and behavioural disorders (E/BD). Researchers looked at the participants’ age, gender and type of behavioural problems (externalizing, internalizing) throughout their primary and secondary school education.

Based on existing literature, the authors expected the following four outcomes: 1) the students in the sample, all with E/BD, would experience moderate to large academic achievement deficits relative to the norm sample across all content areas, 2) the academic achievement deficits of adolescents  (aged 13 to 18) would be the same as or worse than those of children (aged 5 to 12) in the sample 3) these deficits would be similar in the boys and girls in the study and, lastly, 4) the externalizing types of problem behaviours (e.g. aggression, attention) would be more strongly related to academic achievement than internalizing behaviours. 

Methodology
The 155 participants came from primary and secondary schools in an urban district in the Midwest United States and were all receiving special education services.

Various measurement tools were used. First, the Teacher Report Form (TRF) was used to assess the social adjustment of students (type of behavioural problems) with the participation of teachers. Academic achievement was then assessed using some of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement subtests, i.e. those related to reading, mathematics, calculation skills, written language and written expression.

Lastly, the school records of each student were searched to collect information on ethnicity, hours of special education services received per day and IQ scores.

Main Results
The authors presented three main findings that corroborated their projected outcomes. The results revealed that students with E/BD experienced large academic achievement deficits relative to that of the norm group. Furthermore, as expected, no difference was reported in achievement levels between girls and boys.

In addition, the authors reported a difference between the group of adolescents (aged 13 to 18) and the group of children (aged 5 to 12) in terms of academic achievement. However, the increase in academic deficit among adolescents was only for mathematics, while the academic achievement level remained stable for reading and writing.

Lastly, the results suggested that the achievement issues of students with externalizing behavioural disorders may be more pronounced.

The authors pointed out that E/BD can be detected at an early age and that research on prevention programs should be undertaken in the future.



Key Words :
Emotional Disorders, Social Adjustment, Externalizing Behavioural Disorders, Internalizing Behavioural Disorders, Reading, Written Language, Writing, Mathematics, Gender, Quantitative Analysis, Primary, Elementary, Secondary/High School, Newsletter2

Monitored Countries :
United States