How A Collaborative School Culture Leads to Success For Students With Emotional Behavior Disorders: An Appreciative Inquiry Approach

The presence of students with Emotional Behavior Disorder (EBD) diagnoses is prevalent in general education classrooms across America. Often, students with EBD struggle with attendance, face repeated disciplinary action, and are at times removed from the general education setting to be placed in alternative educational settings. This exclusion from the general education population has an impact on these students' educational growth. A positive school culture can influence the difficulty this student population has within these general educational settings can be influenced by a positive school culture.The purpose of this study was to share the rich stories of stakeholders involved in the education of students with EBD in a rural elementary school setting. Using an appreciative Inquiry lens and through these shared experiences, we celebrate programming and planning successes that impact the educational performance and growth of students.