RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A $1.6 million grant has been awarded to two Virginia Commonwealth University professors to improve services to preschool children with behavior problems.

The U.S. Department of Education grant is going to Bryce McLeod and Kevin Sutherland. McLeod is with VCU’s psychology department, while Sutherland is with the school of education.

As part of the four-year grant, they will conduct research in Richmond-area preschool and Head Start classrooms.

McLeod said they are primarily interested in types of interventions and strategies used to deal with behavior problems.

The object of the grant is to improve early intervention and prevention services for children who have chronic problem behavior.

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