EDUCATION AND TREATMENT OF CHILDREN Vol. 26, No. 4, NOVEMBER 2003 Teacher Expectations of Student Behavior: Which Skills Do Elementary and Secondary Teachers Deem Necessary for Success in the Classroom? Kathleen Lynne Lane Peabody College of Vanderbilt University Me linda R. Pier so n Ca lifornia State University, Fu ll erton Christine C. Givner California State University, Los Angeles Abs tract This s tudy e'<amined teachers' e"<pectal1ons of student beha,·ior~ lhal teachers d('('m imp(lr- tant for school success with attention to identifying how expectations converge and diverge .iccording lo grade ltivel taught and program type. Teachers (11 = 366) of kindergarten through t-wellth-grade students rated which of 30 ,,oci.il skilb they viewed to be t>Ssential for schoul success. Results ~uggl>st that all teachers d,•wl'<i cooperallon and ell-control ~kilb a& signifi- cantly more impo rtant than assertion s l--ill! ,. Five skilb, all of which c(lnl>tituted the coopera- tion and self-('(mlrol dom<1ins, Wl're ratP<l by the majority of elemE>ntary, middle, and high school teachers as critical for succt• s1,. Middle school teadwrs appeared lo l">I! the most homo- geneous in their cxpt!Ct.. 1tion~. General education lc.ichers, m comparison to ~pccial educa- tion teacheN, viewed assertion and c(1o~ration sk.i lb ,l!> more critical for school ~ucce~s. Whereas general and ~pecial education elemimtary and middle school teachers held similar ,·1ew~ alx,ut the impurt ,mcc of self-control, high ::.chool ~p<.'Cial educa tion teachers v1ewcd self-control as :,ignificantl) less impllrtant than did high school Aeneral L--<lucation teachers. lmplicallon~ fur 11nproving prcn,forral inter\lention.s, transition across the grade le\lel, ,1nd inclusive experience!- for students rece1vin~ special education servic~ arc prc:.entcd. * * * From house keeping and literacy cenlers in kindergarten cl assrooms to adva nced pla cement English classes, students are expected to participate in these environments with ccrta iJ 1 social and behaviora l competencies. Address: Dr. Kathlcen Lam:, D~partnwnt of Special Education, Peabody College/ Vanderbilt University, Bo>. 328 Peabody, Nashville, TN 37203 Pages 413-430