Supporting students returning to school after a mental health crisis often involves more training than many school staff members receive. With the increase in youth mental health diagnoses, there has also been an increase in the number of youth requiring psychiatric emergency department visits and hospitalizations. As such, this study employed a…

Principal support programs focused on advising and professional development can have positive impacts for early career principals and the teachers they lead. The mixed-methods case study aims to report on the impacts of a customized support program on early career principals. The case study gives insights on how a university-designed professional…

School leaders, specifically principals, play a pivotal role in shaping student learning outcomes. The benefits of strong leaders extend beyond academic achievement, such as reductions in absenteeism and exclusionary discipline. While quality principals are critical for creating and sustaining quality schools, the staffing pipeline is facing…

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to evaluate the readiness of educators to implement classroom discipline interventions and strategies after attending an equity-based professional development (PD) and identify effective action steps that address the disparity in discipline referrals towards students of color and sanctions through…

This article shares the results from a quasi-experimental mixed-methods study of a promising transition-focused professional development approach. The 12-week team-based intervention resulted in positive outcomes among intervention group participants' knowledge and capacities. The intervention group exhibited statistically significant changes in…

This article emanated from a narrative inquiry into the stories of three Virginia gifted education coordinators whose years in service coincided with years of improved equitable representation in their gifted programs. By analyzing their experiences, the article sheds light on the organizational barriers they encountered. Organizational barriers…

After a white supremacists' rally which fomented terror and death in Charlottesville, VA, a group of local educators came together to reflect on what happened and determine what they could do to push for racial justice in their community. "Reframing the Narrative" (RtN) was created, a years-long grant-funded project to produce and…

Despite the 1982 Supreme Court decision "Plyler v. Doe," little guidance has been provided on how to support undocumented students. Although education scholars have explored undocumented students' experiences, little research examines the effects of professional development on pre-service school professionals' understanding regarding…

School leadership has progressed from a principal-led position to a dual-leader position with assistant principals. Assistant principals have stepped into instructional leadership roles and have been identified as overseeing special education (Best, 2016; Gaston, 2005; Walton, 2008). Despite studies determining that assistant principals are…

The Social Work integrative Research Lab (SWiRL) provides opportunities for undergraduate students to engage meaningfully with research and allows graduate students to develop mentoring skills. We conducted a survey of alumni (N=20) to learn whether: a) alumni endorsed the benefits of participation and b) SWiRL experiences contributed to…

NAME declared, "… we must all rise up against the current tide of white supremacy to defend multicultural education." Yet, fearful educators omit curriculum and conversations deemed 'divisive.' In response to these challenges posed by white supremacy and the consequential pressure on educators to avoid "divisive" topics, this…

Although comprehensive school counseling programs are implemented widely across the country, school counselors face myriad barriers to implementation. As such, we conducted a multilevel, descriptive case study to examine a school counseling cohort preparing to apply for the American School Counselor Association's Recognized ASCA Model Program…

Unlike the ineffective generic approach often used for teacher professional development, NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative (EPDC) Digital Badging offers access to a highly organized system of knowledge and personalized, online professional development (PD) through digital badging. This qualitative case study provided an…

Mental health and well-being significantly impact students' academic performance, social interactions, and school engagement. Partnering with communities can enhance the effectiveness and reach of mental health initiatives and supports within educational settings. By collaborating with community organizations and agencies, schools can augment…

In today's educational landscape, state and local educational agencies (SEAs and LEAs) often experience challenges connecting large-scale accountability data with actual school improvement initiatives. These challenges tend to be rooted in incoherent design and use of data systems for continuous improvement. As we aim to support SEAs in…