http://www.thinkkids.org/

Basically the premise is that kids want to do well...when they can. And when they can't, that's when you see behavioral issues. Because kids don't have the skills or abilities to handle certain situations - so the solution is to help them gain the skills through teaching them problem solving skills. Also - the more they practice problem solving, the more they are able to adapt their new found problem solving skills to new situations and continue to grow.

Obviously an over-simplification. But the research seems to support the theory.