Creating capacity in schools and communities promotes academic, social, and emotional competence for all students, including those with serious emotional disturbance as well as those with incipient or identified emotional or behavioral disorders. Capacity building in school settings is a multifaceted systemic process implemented through a flexible continuum of school-based primary prevention, early intervention, and intensive intervention services. This comprehensive approach recognizes that school environments can be adaptive systems with the potential to prevent or ameliorate behavior problems. Successful capacity-building efforts are closely tied to other target area initiatives, especially collaborating with community agencies and establishing partnerships with families. We draw on the research on educational restructuring and an analysis of case studies of system change to identify cross-cutting themes important to the implementation of capacity-building efforts. Implications for sustaining capacity-building efforts are also discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Brandenburg, N. A., Friedman, R. M., & Silver, S. E. (1990). The epidemiology of childhood psychiatric disorders: Recent prevalence findings and methodologic issues. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29, 76–83.
2.
Coleman, M. C. (1995). Emotional and behavioral disorders: Theory and practice.Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
3.
Eber, L. (1996). Restructuring schools through the wraparound approach: The LADSE experience. Special Services in the Schools, 11, 135–149.
4.
Elam, S. M., & Rose, L. C. (1995). The 27th annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll of the public's attitudes toward the public schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 77, 41–59.
5.
Englert, C. S., Tarrant, K. L., & Mariage, T. V. (1992). Defining and redefining instructional practice in special education: Perspectives on good teaching. Teacher Education in Special Education, 12(2), 62–85.
6.
Faris, J., & Nichol, G. T. (1996). Memphis City Schools Mental Health Center: A comprehensive integrated service program. Special Services in the Schools, 11, 151–167.
7.
Felner, R. D., & Felner, T. W. (1989). Primary prevention programs in the educational context: A transactional—ecological framework and analysis. In L. W. Bond & B. E. Compas (Eds.), Primary prevention and promotion in schools (pp. 13–49). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
8.
Fullan, M. (1993). Innovation, reform, and restructuring strategies. In G. Cawelti (Ed.), Challenges and achievements of American education: 1993 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) yearbook (pp. 116–133). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
9.
Fullan, M., & Stiegelbauer, S. (1991). The new meaning of educational change.New York: Teachers College Press.
10.
Furlong, M. J., & Morrison, G. M. (1994). Introduction to miniseries: School violence and safety in perspective. School Psychology Review, 23, 139–150.
11.
Hawkins, J. D. (1995). Controlling crime before it happens: Risk-focused prevention. National Institute of Juvenile Justice Journal, 229, 10–18.
12.
Institute of Medicine. (1989). Research on children and adolescents with mental, behavioral and developmental disorders: Mobilizing a national initiative.Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
13.
Kauffman, J. M. (1993). Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders of children and youth.New York: Merrill Macmillan.
14.
Knitzer, J. (1993). Children's mental health policy: Challenging the future. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 1, 8–16.
15.
Knitzer, J., Steinberg, Z., & Fleisch, B. (1990). At the schoolhouse door: An examination of programs and policies for children with behavioral and emotional problems.New York: Bank Street College of Education.
16.
Koyanagi, C., & Gaines, S. (1993). All systems failure: An examination of the results of neglecting the needs of children with serious emotional disturbance.Alexandria, VA: National Mental Health Association.
17.
Kruse, S., Louis, K. S., & Bryk, A. (1994). Building professional community in schools (Issue Report No. 6). Madison, WI: Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools.
18.
Leinhardt, G. (1990). Capturing craft knowledge in teaching. Educational Researcher, 19(2), 18–25.
19.
Leone, P. E., Lane, S. A., Arllen, N., & Peter, H. (1996). School-linked services in context: A formative evaluation of Linkages to Learning. Special Services in the Schools, 11, 119–133.
20.
Leone, P. E., McLaughlin, M. J., & Meisel, S. (1992). School reform and adolescents with behavior disorders. Focus on Exceptional Children, 25, 1–15.
21.
Linquanti, R., & Berliner, B. A. (1994). Rebuilding schools as safe havens: A typology for selecting and integrating violence prevention strategies.Oak Brook, IL: Midwest Regional Center for Drug-Free Schools and Communities.
22.
Little, J. W., & McLaughlin, M. W. (1993). Introduction: Perspectives on cultures and contexts of teaching. In J. W. Little & M. McLaughlin (Eds.), Teachers' work: Individuals, colleagues and contexts (pp. 1–8). New York: Teachers College Press.
23.
Louis, K. S., Marks, H. M., & Krause, S. (1995). Teachers' professional community in restructuring schools.University of Wisconsin-Madison, Center on Organization and Restructuring Schools, School of Education.
24.
Malouf, D. B., & Schiller, E. P. (1995). Practice and research in special education. Exceptional Children, 61, 414–424.
25.
McLaughlin, M. J., Leone, P. E., Warren, S. H., & Schofield, P. F. (1994). Doing things differently: Issues and options for creating comprehensive school linked services for children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders.College Park: University of Maryland, Department of Special Education.
26.
McLaughlin, M. J., & Owings, M. F. (1993). Relationships among states' fiscal and demographic data and the implementation of P.L. 94–142. Exceptional Children, 59, 247–261.
27.
National Association of State Boards of Education. (1994). Schools without fear.Alexandria, VA: Author.
28.
Neel, R. S., Meadows, N., Levine, P., & Edgar, E. B. (1988). What happens after special education: A statewide follow-up study of students who have behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 13, 209–216.
29.
Nelson, J. R., & Colvin, G. (1996). Designing supportive school environments. Special Services in the Schools, 11, 169–186.
30.
Newmann, F. M., & Wehlage, G. G. (1995). Successful school restructuring: A report to the public and educators by the Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Center for Education Research.
31.
O'Day, J., Goertz, M. E., & Floden, R. E. (1995). Building the capacity for education reform (CPRE Policy Brief No. RB-18). New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University, Consortium for Policy Research in Education.
32.
Peacock Hill Working Group. (1991). Problems and promises in special education and related services for children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 16, 299–313.
33.
Rosenholtz, S. (1985). Effective schools: Interpreting the evidence. American Journal of Education, 93, 352–388.
34.
Sawyer, R. J., McLaughlin, M. J., & Winglee, M. (1994). Is integration of student with disabilities happening?Remedial and Special Education, 15, 204–215.
35.
Stephens, S. A., & Lakin, K. C. (1995). Where students with disabilities go to school. In J. M. Kauffman, J. W. Lloyd, T. A. Astuto, & D. P. Hallahan (Eds.), Issues in the educational placement: Students with emotional or behavioral disorders (pp. 47–74). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
36.
Tyack, D. (1992). Health and social services in public schools: Historical perspectives. The Future of Children, 2, 19–31.
37.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. (1995). To assure the free appropriate public education of all children with disabilities: The Seventeenth Annual Report of Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Act.Washington, DC: Division of Innovation and Development.
38.
Valdes, K., Williamson, C., & Wagner, M. (1990). The national longitudinal study of special education students, statistical almanac: Vol. 3. Youth categorized as emotionally disturbed.Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
39.
Wagner, M., Newmann, L., D'Amico, R., Jay, E. D., Butler-Nalin, P., Marder, C., & Cox, R. (1991). Youth with disabilities: How are they doing?. The first comprehensive report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study of special education students.Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
