Program Announcement: Social and Behavioral Outcomes to Support Learning CFDA 84.324A

Program Officer:
Dr. Jacquelyn Buckley
Jacquelyn.Buckley@ed.gov
(202) 219-2130

Purpose

Through its research program on Social and Behavioral Outcomes to Support Learning (Social/Behavioral), the Institute supports research that contributes to the prevention or amelioration of behavior problems in students with or at risk for disabilities and concomitantly, improves their education outcomes. The long-term outcome of this program will be an array of tools and strategies (e.g., assessments, interventions) that have been documented to be effective for preventing behavior problems and improving the behavioral, emotional, social skills, and likewise, the academic performance of students with or at risk for disabilities from kindergarten through Grade 12.

The Institute encourages research that integrates the disciplines of special education and mental health with the goal of preventing behavior problems and improving the academic outcomes for students with disabilities. Considerable work focusing on interventions that are aimed at preventing or ameliorating behavior disorders in children and youth has been conducted in the areas of developmental psychopathology, prevention research, and children's mental health services. Much of this work focuses on improving social and behavioral functioning in schools and other community settings, yet there has been relatively little systematic effort to bridge these efforts with prevention and intervention research in special education. The Institute encourages researchers to consider, for example, tailoring programs developed from a children's mental health perspective aimed at preventing behavior and mental health disorders (e.g., conduct disorder) and evaluating the impact of those programs on school-based behavior and academic outcomes, including referral and classification for special education.