ABSTRACT
In light of legislation such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Race to the Top, educators are under considerable pressure to ensure that students are making adequate yearly progress (AYP). In addition, educators also must meet the complex needs of an increasingly diverse student population that includes students with substantial learning and behavioral challenges (Wehby & Lane, 2009). Although many students display adequate school readiness skills that help facilitate their success at school, many others do not. Subsequently, these students must be taught what is expected of them and how to be successful in school. Students who lack school readiness skills may struggle with following expectations, routines, and prompts that other students seem naturally to know and understand (Greene, Ablon, & Goring, 2003). Further, students can become disruptive, non-compliant, and even aggressive when they are asked to perform behaviors that they do not possess or know how to display (Greene & Ablon, 2005). Ultimately, without proper instruction and intervention, students who lack the skills they need to be successful in school will be more challenging to teach and their disruptive behavior can overwhelm even the most patient of educators (Walker, Irvin, Noell, & Singer, 1992).
