A Structured Instructional System for Developing the School Survival Skills of Adolescents with Behavioral Disorders

School survival skills are behaviors which enhance the likelihood of academic success. In general, academically successful students have a greater knowledge of school survival skills and actively apply these skills in classroom settings. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a multicomponent instructional system, known as a modified version of the School Survival Skills Curriculum, in developing and improving the school survival skills of students with behavioral disorders. Using a pretest-posttest group design, the experimental group demonstrated significant improvement in their overall use of school survival skills as measured by the School Survival Skills Scale. However, no significant differences were shown for students' grade point averages. Implications for practice are discussed.