Dr. Jeffrey Sprague is an Associate Professor of Special Education and Co-Director of the University of Oregon Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior. In 2001, Dr. Sprague worked with the Oregon legislature to establish the Oregon Center for School Safety in 2002. He was a classroom teacher for seven years and a school behavioral consultant for two years. Jeff was the Director of the Center for School and Community Integration at the Indiana University Institute for the Study of Developmental Disabilities before returning to Oregon to co-direct the IVDB. He has directed federal, state and local research and demonstration projects related to whole school discipline, youth violence prevention, alternative education, juvenile delinquency prevention, school inclusion, school-to-work transition and employment, school systems change, and self advocacy. His research activities encompass applied behavior analysis, positive behavior supports, functional behavioral assessment, school safety and violence prevention, and juvenile delinquency. Jeff is a contributor to "Early Warning, Timely Response," and the "1998, 1999, and 2000 President's Annual Reports on School Safety." Most recently, he has written a white paper on school safety for Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers' School Safety Coalition and a book on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design for school administrators. Jeff co-authored a book on school safety with Hill Walker, and a book on School Wide PBS with Annemieke Golly. If you would like to contact Jeffrey, please visit our contact page.

Some of Dr. Sprague's publications include:

Sprague, J & Walker H. (2005) Safe and Healthy Schools: Practical Intervention Strategies

Sprague, J. (2004) Best Behavior Book: Building Positive Behavior Support in Schools 

Sprague, J. (2002, March). Getting Effective School Discipline Practices to Scale: B.E.S.T. Practices Staff Development. NASP Communique, 30(6), 28-32.

Paine, C.K, & Sprague, J. (2002). Dealing With a School Shooting Disaster: Lessons Learned From Springfield, Oregon. Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Youth, 2(2), 35-40.

Sprague, J., Walker, H., Golly, A., White, K., Myers, D. R., Shannon, T. (2001). Translating Research into Effective Practice: The Effects of a Universal Staff and Student Intervention on Indicators of Discipline and School Safety. Education and Treatment of Children, 24(4) 495-511.

Sprague, J., Walker, H., Sowards, S., Van Bloem, C., Eberhardt, P., & Marshall, B. (2002). Sources of Vulnerability to School Violence: Systems-Level Assessment and Strategies to Improve Safety and Climate. In M.R. Shinn, G. Stoner, and H.M. Walker (Eds.), Interventions for Academic and Behavior Problems II: Preventive and Remedial Approaches, (2nd ed.), (pp. 295-314).

Schneider, T., Walker, H. M., & Sprague, J. R. (2000). Safe school design: A handbook for educational leaders. Eugene, OR: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, College of Education, University of Oregon..

Current Projects: Hamilton Fish National Consortium on School and Community Violence; Evaluation of three Safe Schools, Healthy Students Communities in Oregon; Evaluation of the Deschutes County (Oregon) Community Youth Investment Project; and; Staff Development Activities for whole school discipline and safety in Oregon, California, New Mexico, and Nebraska.