TY - JOUR
T1 - The continuum of "troubling" to "troubled" behavior
T2 - Exploratory case studies of african american students in programs for emotional disturbance
AU - Hart, Juliet E.
AU - Cramer, Elizabeth D.
AU - Harry, Beth
AU - Klingner, Janette K.
AU - Sturges, Keith M.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - This article discusses the construction of the "emotional disturbance" (ED) category in the cases of four African American elementary students. These cases represent a sub-set of data from a three-year ethnographic study of the special education process in a large, culturally/linguistically diverse school district. Based on interviews, observations, and examination of students' records, the data revealed three inappropriate, yet significant, contributors to the children's classification as ED: inadequate instruction/behavior management prior to referral, exclusion of contextual classroom information from the decision-making process, and subjective/arbitrary evaluation processes. Presented is a cross-case thematic analysis of these complex and problematic processes and their outcomes. The authors call for a reconsideration of "ED" to reflect a behavioral continuum rather than the current categorical formulation, a more holistic view acknowledging the contribution of school contexts in the evaluation of children's difficulties, and research focusing on effective, preventive practices for all children with troubling behavior.
AB - This article discusses the construction of the "emotional disturbance" (ED) category in the cases of four African American elementary students. These cases represent a sub-set of data from a three-year ethnographic study of the special education process in a large, culturally/linguistically diverse school district. Based on interviews, observations, and examination of students' records, the data revealed three inappropriate, yet significant, contributors to the children's classification as ED: inadequate instruction/behavior management prior to referral, exclusion of contextual classroom information from the decision-making process, and subjective/arbitrary evaluation processes. Presented is a cross-case thematic analysis of these complex and problematic processes and their outcomes. The authors call for a reconsideration of "ED" to reflect a behavioral continuum rather than the current categorical formulation, a more holistic view acknowledging the contribution of school contexts in the evaluation of children's difficulties, and research focusing on effective, preventive practices for all children with troubling behavior.
KW - Diversity
KW - Emotional/behavioral disorders
KW - Qualitative research
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U2 - 10.1177/0741932508327468
DO - 10.1177/0741932508327468
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77951869809
SN - 0741-9325
VL - 31
SP - 148
EP - 162
JO - Remedial and Special Education
JF - Remedial and Special Education
IS - 3
ER -