Promoting academic success and preventing disruptive behavior disorders through community partnership

Research suggests that children's educational achievement can be improved l y addressing issues of aggression and disruptive behavior, because academic difficulties and problem behaviors create a cycle in which each problem ex acerbates the other The relationship Between academic development and behav ior problems begins early, suggesting that programs to address these issues should start with young children. Furthermore, efforts to Improve achievem ent are most likely to succeed when they focus Both on children's academic shills and on their interest in academic activities. As part of the researc h, programs at home and at school are being coordinated and community partn erships are being developed to test these approaches and facilitate childre n's healthy development. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.