While all school transitions are important, the middle to high school shift stands out. It coincides with biological, social, and cognitive changes in young people that began in early adolescence but continue into high school. These changes can be quite stressful, often disrupting students' academic performance and social and emotional well-being…

ABSTRACT Many youth seek and receive mental health treatment in schools, yet research on their perceptions of these interventions remains uncommon. This qualitative study explored how student perspectives on social validity informed the ongoing implementation and evaluation of the Well-Being Promotion Program (WBPP), a Tier 2 positive psychology…

Purpose: This study explored school administrators' perceptions and experiences in planning and implementing recess policies and practices in New Jersey middle schools. Method: A total of 168 surveys and 19 semistructured interviews were conducted on school administrators. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Semistructured…

Purpose: A health learning program relying on the scientific method was designed to promote reducing the intake of foods high in sugar, sodium and saturated fat in a group of school-aged children. Design/methodology/approach: The scientific method was a core approach for creating intervention activities. We conducted mixed-methods research…

Ample evidence documents rising student obesity in summer months and falling student obesity during the school year. One theory for this pattern is that out-of-school days lack some of the structure and health-promoting behaviors that schools provide. Given this observed seasonal pattern, a natural question is whether there is room for policies…

Background: In our research, we investigated student state and habitual well-being in school during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic (after schools reopened) and analyzed their associations to measures in schools aimed at preventing ongoing infectious diseases. Methods and Measures: We conducted two interventional field studies in…

LifeSkills Training is the only program to prevent substance use disorder among adolescents that has evidence of effects on substance use outcomes from multiple randomized controlled trials. Evaluations have shown that the version for middle school students reduces their use of substances in high school, but these studies were conducted in the…