Education is an essential priority for all children, guaranteed in the United States through the legislature of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Feuerborn & Tyre, 2009). Problems arise when students with disabilities have been denigrated from an adequate education due to disproportionate grading, or when teachers are misinformed about disability recognition. Across America, large numbers of students with disabilities are eligible for special education services and receive services in subjective eligibility categories such as emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) (Thorsen, Koven, Pattee, Watson, & Collier, 2011). The purpose of this article is to explain in detail what an effective program for students with EBD should include. Additionally, written within this document is the perspective of a special educator who ensures procedural due process is respected and legal issues are addressed in a strong program for students with EBD by implementing the following components: Education Program Development Individualized (IEP), procedures for developing less restrictive environmental assignments, processes for conducting a functional behavioral assessment (FBA), what to include in a behavior intervention plan (BIP), examples of potential positive behavioral interventions, reassessment procedures, and timeline a time students are identified for services, student self-evaluation procedures, and a transition plan (as required for ages 14 to 16). The development of an IEP is a critical component of services provided to students with EBD identified for special education. As an IDEA provision, the IEP includes levels of functioning, long-term goals, extent to which...... half of document ...... An Introduction to Special Education (pp. 264-297). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Kauffman, J. M., & Landrum, T. J. (2013). Evaluation of emotional and behavioral disorders. In S. D. Dragin & M. B. Finch (Eds.), Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders in children and youth (pp. 180–270). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.Moreno, G. (2011). Addressing challenging behaviors in the general education context: Conducting a teacher-based functional behavioral assessment (FBA). Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary, and Early Years Education, 39(4), 363-371. doi: 10.1080/03004270903530458Thorsen, C. A., Koven, A., Pattee, D., Watson, D. C., & Collier, A. (2011). The story of disproportionality told by a collaborative and culturally responsive coalition. Action in Teacher Education, 33(1), 575-595. doi: 10.1080/01626620.2011.627302