Academic and Self-Concept: A Quantitative Study of EBD Students

Students that are classified as having an emotional and behavioral disorder (EBD) perform poorly both academically and behaviorally, and their performance usually does not to improve over time. There is a need to understand the effect of learning environments on the academic achievement and self-concept of this population. In this quantitative, archival study, academic achievement and self-concept scores were compared for middle-school students with EBD based on whether the students had been placed into a self-contained learning environment (SCLE) or a mainstreamed least restrictive environment (MLRE). Archived scores for academic achievement and self-concept were evaluated for students in an urban school district in South Carolina with highly qualified special-education staff members. Academic achievement scores and self-concept scores for 2007 were compared between the two groups, with 2005 scores used as a baseline.