Practical Considerations of excluding Conduct Disordered Students: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

A representative sample of 224 students identified as seriously emotionally disturbed was rated by 40 teachers on measures of behavioral problems, temperament characteristics, and classroom competence. Focused specifically on conduct disordered students, analyses revealed that conduct disorders were very prevalent in the sample, were correlated in significant ways with other problematic aspects of temperament and classroom competence, and co-occurred with other types of behavioral problems. Implications of exclusion or decertification are discussed.