TY - JOUR
T1 - Restrictive educational placements increase adolescent risks for students with early-starting conduct problems
AU - Powers, Christopher J.
AU - Bierman, Karen L.
AU - Coffman, Donna L.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) grants R18 MH48043, R18 MH50951, R18 MH50952, and R18 MH50953. The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and the National Institute on Drug Abuse also have provided support for Fast Track through a memorandum of agreement with the NIMH. This work was also supported in part by Department of Education grant S184U30002 and NIMH grants K05MH00797 and K05MH01027. Appreciation is expressed to members of the Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, who in addition to the second author include John D. Coie, Duke University; Kenneth A. Dodge, Duke University; Mark T. Greenberg, Pennsylvania State University; John E. Lochman, The University of Alabama; Robert J. McMahon, University of Washington; and Ellen E. Pinderhughes, Vanderbilt University. The authors are also grateful to the Durham Public Schools, the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, the Bellefonte Area Schools, the Tyrone Area Schools, the Mifflin County Schools, the Highline Public Schools, and the Seattle Public Schools who contributed to this work. The authors acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the many staff members who implemented the project and collected the evaluation data. For additional information concerning Fast Track, see http://www.fasttrackproject.org. K. B. has agreements with Guilford Publications, Inc. and Channing-Bete, Inc. for publications of the Fast Track intervention manuals and PATHS Curriculum, respectively; her royalties associated with those publications are donated to a professional organization. The other authors have no competing or potential conflicts of interest.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
PY - 2016/8/1
Y1 - 2016/8/1
N2 - Background: Students with early-starting conduct problems often do poorly in school; they are disproportionately placed in restrictive educational placements outside of mainstream classrooms. Although intended to benefit students, research suggests that restrictive placements may exacerbate the maladjustment of youth with conduct problems. Mixed findings, small samples, and flawed designs limit the utility of existing research. Methods: This study examined the impact of restrictive educational placements on three adolescent outcomes (high school noncompletion, conduct disorder, depressive symptoms) in a sample of 861 students with early-starting conduct problems followed longitudinally from kindergarten (age 5–6). Causal modeling with propensity scores was used to adjust for confounding factors associated with restrictive placements. Analyses explored the timing of placement (elementary vs. secondary school) and moderation of impact by initial problem severity. Results: Restrictive educational placement in secondary school (but not in elementary school) was iatrogenic, increasing the risk of high school noncompletion and the severity of adolescent conduct disorder. Negative effects were amplified for students with conduct problem behavior with less cognitive impairment. Conclusions: To avoid harm to students and to society, schools must find alternatives to restrictive placements for students with conduct problems in secondary school, particularly when these students do not have cognitive impairments that might warrant specialized educational supports.
AB - Background: Students with early-starting conduct problems often do poorly in school; they are disproportionately placed in restrictive educational placements outside of mainstream classrooms. Although intended to benefit students, research suggests that restrictive placements may exacerbate the maladjustment of youth with conduct problems. Mixed findings, small samples, and flawed designs limit the utility of existing research. Methods: This study examined the impact of restrictive educational placements on three adolescent outcomes (high school noncompletion, conduct disorder, depressive symptoms) in a sample of 861 students with early-starting conduct problems followed longitudinally from kindergarten (age 5–6). Causal modeling with propensity scores was used to adjust for confounding factors associated with restrictive placements. Analyses explored the timing of placement (elementary vs. secondary school) and moderation of impact by initial problem severity. Results: Restrictive educational placement in secondary school (but not in elementary school) was iatrogenic, increasing the risk of high school noncompletion and the severity of adolescent conduct disorder. Negative effects were amplified for students with conduct problem behavior with less cognitive impairment. Conclusions: To avoid harm to students and to society, schools must find alternatives to restrictive placements for students with conduct problems in secondary school, particularly when these students do not have cognitive impairments that might warrant specialized educational supports.
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U2 - 10.1111/jcpp.12487
DO - 10.1111/jcpp.12487
M3 - Article
C2 - 26662115
AN - SCOPUS:84952359866
SN - 0021-9630
VL - 57
SP - 899
EP - 908
JO - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines
JF - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines
IS - 8
ER -
