This study investigated the effect of the adult-child relationship on students’ social outcomes, academic competence and school engagement in a two-year Tier 2 intervention, the Check, Connect and Expect program. One hundred and three students from 2nd through 5th grade, their classroom teachers, and nine school-based coaches participated in this study. Students were identified as at-risk of developing emotional and behavior problems based on Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD; Walker & Severson, 1992). Results indicated that teacher-reported social skills, academic competence and school engagement were negatively associated with SSBD maladaptive behaviors, and were positively associated with coach-student and teacher-student relationships. The teacher-student relationship had a major influence on students’ behavior outcomes, academic competence, and school engagement. However, the coach-student relationship only had unique effect on students’ social skill outcomes based on these data. These findings suggest that close teacher-student relationship can lead the developmental trajectory of children at risk toward positive school adjustment.
AchenbachT. A. (2001). Achenbach’s empirical behavioral assessment manual for teacher report form. Burlington, VT: Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment.
2.
AndersonA. R.ChristensonS. L.SinclairM. F.LehrC. A. (2004). Check and connect: The importance of relationships for promoting engagement with school. Journal of School Psychology, 42, 95–113.
3.
BirchS. H.LaddG. W. (1997). The teacher-student relationship and children’s early school adjustment. Journal of School Psychology, 35, 61–79.
4.
BurchinalM. R.Peisner-FeinbergE.PiantaR.HowesC. (2002). Development of academic skills from preschool through second grade: Family and classroom predictors of developmental trajectories. Journal of School Psychology, 40, 415–436.
5.
CatalanoR. F.HaggertyK. P.OesterleS.FlemingC. B.HawkinsJ. D. (2004). The importance of bonding to school for healthy development: Findings from the social development research group. Journal of School Health, 74, 252–261.
6.
CheneyD.FlowerA.TempletonT. (2008). Applying response to intervention metrics in the social domain for students at risk for developing emotional or behavioral disorders. Journal of Special Education, 42, 108–126.
7.
CheneyD.LynassL.HawkenL.FlowerA.WaughM.IwaszukW. (2010). The check, connect, and expect program: A targeted, tier two intervention in the school-wide positive behavior support model. Preventing School Failure, 54, 152–158.
8.
CheneyD.StageS.HawkenL.LynassL.MielenzC.WaughM. (2009). A two-year outcome study of the check, connect, and expect intervention for students at-risk of severe behavior problems. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 17, 226–243.
9.
ChristensonS. L.HurleyC. M.HirschJ. A.KauM.EveloD.BatesW. (1997). Check and connect: The role of monitors in supporting high-risk youth. Reaching Today’s Youth: The Community Circle of Caring Journal, 2, 18–21.
10.
CroneD.HawkenL.HornerR. (2010). Responding to problem behavior in school: The behavior education program (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford.
11.
FilterK. J.McKennaM. K.BenedictE. A.HornerR. H.ToddA. W.WatsonJ. (2007). Check in/check out: A post-hoc evaluation of an efficient, secondary-level targeted intervention for reducing problem behaviors in school. Education & Treatment of Children, 30, 69–84.
12.
FowlerL. T.BanksT. I.AnhaltK.DerH. H.KalisT. (2008). The association between externalizing behavior problems, teacher-student relationship quality, and academic performance in young urban learners. Behavior disorders, 33, 167–183.
13.
GreshamF. M.ElliottS. N. (1990). Social skills rating system. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.
14.
HamreB. K.PiantaR. C. (2001). Early teacher-child relationships and the trajectory of children’s school outcomes through eighth grade. Child Development, 72, 625–638.
15.
HemphillS. A.ToumbourouJ. W.HerrenkohlT. I.McMorrisB. J.CatalanoR. F. (2006). The effect of school suspensions and arrests on subsequent adolescent antisocial behavior in Australia and the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 39, 736–744.
16.
HowesC.HamiltonC. E. (1992). Children’s relationships with caregivers: Mothers and child care teachers. Child Development, 63, 859–866.
17.
HughesJ.CavellT. A.WilsonV. (2001). Further support for the developmental significance of the quality of the teacher-student relationship. Journal of School Psychology, 39, 289–302.
18.
KnoffH. M. (2001). The stop & think social skills program. Longmont, CO: Sopris West.
19.
LeoneP. E.ChristleC. A.NelsonC. M.SkibaR.FreyA.JolivetteK. (2003). School failure, race, and disability: Promoting positive outcomes, decreasing vulnerability for involvement with the juvenile delinquency system. Retrieved from http://www.edjj.org/Publications/list/leone_et_al-2003.pdf
20.
MantzicopoulosP. (2005). Teacher-student relationships and early school adjustment. Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities, 18, 111–138.
21.
MastenA. S. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56, 227–238.
22.
MastenA. S. (2007). Resilience in developing systems: Progress and promise as the fourth wave rises. Development and Psychopathology, 19, 921–930.
23.
McKinneyJ.MontagueM.HocuttA. (1998). A two year follow-up study of children at-risk for developing SED: Initial results from a prevention project. In LibertonC.KutashK.FriedmanR. (Eds.), A system of care for children’s mental health: Expanding the research base. Tenth annual proceedings (pp. 271–277). Tampa: University of South Florida.
24.
MeehanB. T.HughesJ. N.CavellT. A. (2003). Teacher-student relationships as compensatory resources for aggressive children. Child Development, 74, 1145–1157.
25.
MurrayC.GreenbergM. T. (2000). An investigation of patterns and correlates in middle childhood. Journal of School Psychology, 38, 423–445.
26.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development—Early Child Care Research Network. (2001). NICHD study of early child care and youth development data and documental manual. Mahwah, NJ: Author.
27.
PiantaR. C. (2001). STRS Student-Teacher Relationship Scale: Professional Manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
28.
PiantaR. C.SteinbergM. S.RollinsK. (1995). The first two years of school: Teacher-child relationships and deflections in children’s classroom adjustment. Development and Psychopathology, 7, 297–312.
29.
PiantaR. C.StuhlmanM. (2004). Teacher-child relationships and children’s success in the first years of school. School Psychology Review, 33, 444–458.
30.
SkibaR. J.PetersonR. L. (2000). School discipline at a crossroads: From zero tolerance to early response. Exceptional Children, 66, 335–344.
31.
ToddA.CampbellA.MeyerG.HomerR. H. (2008). Evaluation of a targeted group intervention in elementary students: The check-in/check-out program. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 10, 46–55.
32.
WalkerH. M.RamsayE.GreshamF. M. (2004). Antisocial behavior in school: Evidence-based practices (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
33.
WalkerH. M.SeeleyJ.SmallJ.SeversonH. H.GrahamB.FeilE.. . . GollyA. (2009). A randomized controlled trial of the first step to success early intervention: Demonstration of program efficacy outcomes within a diverse, urban school district. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 17, 197–212.
34.
WalkerH. M.SeversonH. H. (1992). Systematic screening for behavior disorders (SSBD): User’s guide and administration manual. Longmont, CO: Sopris West.
