A meaningful curriculum is one that is individualized, inclusive of the individual's unique needs and interests, and focused on building independence in current and future environments. A meaningful curriculum addresses an individual's needs and prioritizes instructional programs based on what is, potentially, most important to their lives and not…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the behavioral training programs/frameworks and Professional Development (PD) delivery methods that certified staff - including teachers, speech-language pathologists, school psychologists, occupational therapists, and teachers on special assignment - as well as administrators, believe to be necessary…

Cultivate a thriving classroom and reignite a love of teaching. Gain effective strategies to understand student behavioral patterns in relation to brain development. With thoughtful suggestions on how to implement and adapt proposed strategies as needed, K-12 teachers will create and manage a classroom environment that maximizes learning and…

Educational researchers have produced a variety of evidence-based practices (EBP) to address social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) needs among students. Yet, these practices are often insufficiently adopted and implemented with fidelity by teachers to produce the beneficial outcomes associated with the EBP, leaving students at risk for…

Research documenting the effects of trauma in early childhood describes the profound and long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect on the developing brain and the subsequent deficits in critical cognitive and social development. While educators have increasingly endeavoured to understand this impact and become more 'trauma-informed' in…

Statistics on K-12 students with mental health challenges almost guarantee that teachers will encounter these students in their classrooms. Educators will be more prepared and successful if they have feasible strategies to promote student well-being and avoid exacerbating existing problems. This article presents research-based classroom practices…

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, PK-12 school buildings across the United States closed and educators quickly pivoted to remote and continuous learning opportunities to protect students and society as a whole from the deadly coronavirus. As educational leaders navigate the complexities for providing instruction during the 2020-2021 academic…

In recent years, schools have begun Social Emotional Learning (SEL) instruction. In 1994, the term Social Emotional Learning was coined by CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning; originally named the Collaborative to Advance Social and Emotional Learning). SEL instruction is critical in schools because communities and…

Joseph Mahoney, Joseph Durlak, and Roger Weissberg compare results from four large-scale meta-analyses of student outcomes related to participation in universal, school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs. Their examination includes 356 research reports with rigorous designs and outcome data at post or follow-up from hundreds of…

This qualitative case study addresses the pressing need to support the academic and social-emotional well-being of K-12 students, particularly given the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Research highlights a significant prevalence of mental, emotional, developmental, and behavioral issues among children and exposure to adverse…

This study examined the lived experience of teachers and mental health paraprofessionals implementing the Jesse Lewis Choose Love curriculum in an alternative school setting. Social emotional learning curriculum implementation within the unique structure of alternative schools is important to investigate in order to better understand the unique…

Addressing the surge in mental health and social and emotional needs of students and staff will be critical in the upcoming years. The increased understanding of the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma, and their negative effects on the social, emotional, and academic success of students, has propelled a growing number of…

Fostering a supportive and productive classroom environment for students is an essential goal for most teachers and schools in general. In addition, teachers' behavior management practices have been an important topic of research due to the relationship between behavior management strategies and student success and well-being. Previous research…

A substantial body of evidence verifies that social-emotional learning (SEL) can be effectively taught in schools and can reduce the prevalence and impact of emotional and behavioral problems (EBP) among children and youth. Although the positive effects of SEL on individual student's emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes have been…

A recent study evaluated the level of guidance provided by states on their Department of Education web sites regarding school-based social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) screening. The purpose of this follow-up study was to interview a small sample of state-level stakeholders to supplement the findings from the web site evaluation study.…