The current research examines an evidence-based program called Communities In Schools located in Texas that provides services to elementary students and teaches them how to navigate socially and emotionally through grief. Childhood experiences through losing a loved one can subsequently impact an elementary student's academic outcomes. However,…

This study sought to investigate, from an empirical standpoint, whether teacher SECs impact classroom management and their well-being. Teachers completed a questionnaire including the Self-Assessing Social and Emotional Instruction and Competencies: A Tool for Teachers (SSEIC) and Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL), as well as were observed…

This qualitative single case study examined how teacher training on social and emotional learning could better prepare teachers to support student's social and emotional needs in the classroom. The problem addressed in this study was the inconsistent quality of social and emotional training provided to teachers, resulting in ill-equipped teachers…

This research examines the effects of Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) on elementary-aged students' social and emotional development. Public school systems are tasked with finding programs to help develop social and emotional skills in students to help promote overall success. This research provides insight into how PBIS can impact…

Social-emotional competencies (SEC) play a vital role in students' academic and social achievements. Social and emotional learning (SEL) programs are designed to equip students with these competencies to manage their daily stress and cope with academic and social challenges. Recently, published research studies have emphasized the significant…

Resiliency and self-efficacy are important factors for achieving English proficiency among English Learners. This study sought to identify practices that would create conditions for resiliency. The data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of a teacher survey and student focus group. Action steps were designed, implemented, and evaluated in Cycle 2 to…

Many students rely on rote algorithms that have been recently taught as they look for a direct way to tackle challenging problems. Especially for students who have not succeeded in the typical high-school curriculum, problem-solving in a novel situation is complex, and students ask for a direct way to solve rather than persevering. The purpose of…

This qualitative phenomenological study explores the perceptions of school administrators, teachers, and parents regarding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching, learning, and students' social-emotional well-being within a public school district in South Louisiana. With evidence of significant learning loss and increased mental health…

In 2020, the world was forced to adjust to a new normal with the global pandemic. Every nation had to make difficult decisions to protect citizens and save their economy. Leaders of all institutions had to strategize quickly for an unknown future. Many institutions suffered, including education. Social-emotional learning addresses students'…

Topics of well-being and personal development within education have gained popularity in the United States over the last few decades (Grabinger & Dunlap, 1995; Hirshberg et al., 2020). This is due to the idea that traditional teaching and learning methods fail to consider social and emotional development when it comes to curriculum design and…

American society and schools are increasingly recognizing the importance of tending to children's social-emotional learning (SEL). According to social learning theory, one way children learn social-emotional skills, knowledge, and mindsets is by observing others--including their teachers. It is thus important that teachers model the same…

Much research in the field of education has been conducted on strategies to address students' academic and socioemotional needs of students experiencing trauma. The problem addressed in this study was that when students do not receive support for their socioemotional and academic needs related to trauma, they can experience low levels of academic…

To determine the impact of an administrator's decision on student placement in kindergarten classrooms, teachers were asked to share their perceptions on how that decision impacted their ability to deliver instruction and follow the district scope and sequence, as well as how that decision impacts student academic achievement and social and…

Students present with mental health needs and posttraumatic stress symptoms, yet they largely do not receive necessary services. Since schools are an ideal setting for students to receive mental health services, Mental Health Action Plans (MHAPs) were developed to define and detail the ways in which student mental health needs can be addressed at…

Significant socioeconomic disparities exist across the neighborhoods where children grow up today, which may exacerbate inequities in children's educational opportunities (Leventhal et al., 2015; Leventhal & Dupere, 2019; Mijs & Roe, 2021; Reardon et al., 2018). Prior research documents associations between neighborhood socioeconomic…