In this study, the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy sought to uncover the ways in which Massachusetts schools and districts support students' behavioral health needs. This study was guided by the following research questions: (1) What are districts doing to integrate social, emotional and behavioral health supports? (2) What are…

Counselors in middle and high schools play several essential roles. Counselors help students with their emotional and behavioral development, they manage curricular and graduation plans, and prepare students for life after high school, be it for college or career. After funding reductions from the Texas legislature in the spring of 2011, many…

Considers the relationship between self-esteem and smoking in youth by analyzing survey data of two Scottish samples of 13 to 14-year-olds (N=2,900). The findings for peer groupings, self-esteem, and smoking indicate that young people who were socially isolated report both lower self-esteem and smoking prevalence, while peer-oriented youth report…

Study surveys secondary school students (N=4,773) about five items concerning the circumstances of smoking initiation: age at first cigarette; source of supply; location of first smoke; persons present; and perceived degree of coercion. Although there was a highly significant gender difference on the item concerning age at first cigarette, with…

Examines adolescents' responses to a survey on smoking, smoking behavior, and psychological well being, along with information on household composition, income and parental education. Outcomes suggest that some of the key explanatory factors in take-up are temporary, psychological states. Argues that adolescent smoking is in large measure an…

Emotional skills are an important prerequisite to academic success and to peer relationships. Noting that emotional competence can be taught and internalized by students, and that middle school students are at a developmental crossroads at which such learning might be critical, this videotape and teaching guide comprise a program for helping…

Noting that early adolescence is a time of tremendous growth and change for both youth and their families, this booklet, the second in a series prepared for parents/guardians of children ages 10-15, is intended to help parents adapt to these changes. The booklet describes typical behavior of preadolescents and offers advice to parents on…

Noting that young adolescents are very much affected by their families, this booklet, in both English- and Spanish-language versions, was prepared for parents/guardians of children ages 10-15 to help them provide the support needed by a child undergoing some of the most dramatic changes in a lifetime. The booklet describes typical behavior of…

This article defines, provides a rationale for, and describes the implementation of a classroom management level system in a middle school program for students with severe behavior disorders. The system is a motivational plan for behavioral improvement based upon a graduated series of levels with increasing student responsibility and privileges.…

This leader's guide, the first of three in a series for middle school students, presents a program designed to develop interpersonal skills and self-understanding. The guide is organized into three major seminars: communication, understanding behavior, and changing behavior; these are sequential and hierarchical in nature. Specific instructions…

The influence of ethnic identity development on adolescents' achievement, self-concept, and behaviors has been reviewed extensively in the literature. However, the role that school counselors play in enhancing middle school students' ethnic identity development has received little attention. This article reviews the definition of ethnic identity…

In response to reports that have received widespread attention decrying the failure of science education in the United States to prepare sufficient numbers of scientists, projects have sought to determine what can be done to encourage academically oriented youths to enroll in more science courses in high school and preserve their option of going…

Recommends that teachers nurture students' emotional intelligence by teaching coping skills, how to acquire and use information, how to work with others, and how to manage personal growth. Discusses usefulness of emotional intelligence during transition to middle school, and suggests educators involve students in common activities that foster…

Describes a classroom-based social decision-making intervention to promote health and prevent problem behaviors. The approach unites social-cognitive, affective, behavioral, and social relationship areas with critical thinking skills important for academic achievement. Because middle school students are high risk for negative health outcomes, they…

This report describes a program for improving moral character to increase academic achievement. Targeted population consisted of middle school students in a growing middle class community in a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The problem, an absence of proper moral character, was documented through data collected from discipline referrals to…