Objective: To examine whether a remote, online, group-based mindfulness intervention maintains long-term effects at one-year follow-up. Participants: 61 college students (38 in the intervention group, 23 controls) completed the follow-up survey. Methods: Follow-up to an RCT using a 4-week Koru Mindfulness program, investigating pre-to-follow-up…

This Spotlight explores key aspects of MTSS implementation, including its relationship to special education and effectiveness in improving student outcomes. Discover how MTSS can be used to support social-emotional learning, address discipline disparities, and ensure equitable access to resources and support. By combining data-driven…

Building a culturally responsive school allows for teachers to expand their teaching practices to individualize instruction based on students' culture and background. Teachers must do this even more so now as many students have suffered severe learning loss due to school closures during the pandemic. Culturally Responsive Teaching allow teachers…

Persistent racial inequities in the field of psychology have resulted in exclusion and marginalization of racially/ethnically minoritized (REM) students. This manuscript discusses the effectiveness of an endeavor to increase admission, recruitment, and retention of REM students, the Scholars Committed to Opportunities in Psychological Education…

We estimate the effect of universal free school meal access through the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) on child body mass index (BMI). Through the CEP, schools with high percentages of students qualified for free or reduced-priced meals can offer free breakfast and lunch to all students. With administrative data from a large school district…

"Xtreme Reading" is a supplemental literacy curriculum designed to improve the literacy skills of struggling students in grades 6 to 12. The curriculum is primarily designed to help students improve their vocabulary, decoding, fluency, and reading comprehension skills. To ensure a productive learning environment, students initially learn…

We estimate the effect of universal free school meal access through the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) on child BMI. Through the CEP, schools with high percentages of students qualified for free or reduced-priced meals can offer free breakfast and lunch to all students. With administrative data from a large school district in Georgia, we use…

"Xtreme Reading" is a supplemental literacy curriculum designed to improve the literacy skills of struggling students in grades 6 to 12. The curriculum is primarily designed to help students improve their vocabulary, decoding, fluency, and reading comprehension skills. To ensure a productive learning environment, students initially learn…

Research examining the administration, evaluation, and continued implementation of technology-based nutrition education interventions for low-income populations is lacking. This dissertation evaluated the implementation of Food eTalk, a statewide online, self-paced nutrition education program. Implementation occurred in various community- and…

Substance use in America remains a public health crisis, especially given the ongoing opioid epidemic and an alarming spike in overdose related deaths. Institutions of higher education have a unique opportunity to provide realistic measures of sustained substance use disorder (SUD) recovery through collegiate recovery programs (CRP) that employ…

Recent studies of charter school effectiveness have questioned whether charter school networks can produce a lasting impact on students' long-term outcomes. Our study is the first to examine this issue at the network of Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) schools, which primarily serve disadvantaged students of color and constitute the nation's…

School-based mentoring continues to attract both attention and criticism among school leaders and researchers. This practitioner-university collaboration examined mentees' reported levels of school connectedness after a nine-week cross-age mentoring intervention. This study of 47 mentees attending a rural, low socioeconomic status (100% FRL)…

This dissertation explores teacher preparedness to engage with a diverse Westo, Georgia, student population effectively. The study emphasizes the pivotal role played by teacher training and ongoing professional development in shaping this preparedness. Employing a quantitative research approach, the investigation evaluates the preparedness levels…

This document is a report on the research which was designed to evaluate the affirmative action policy for ethnic minorities in Georgia. The mixed research methods were utilized in the study. Specifically, the following research methods were used: (1) Survey of 12th graders in non-Georgian schools; (2) Survey of the students in the One-Year…

College stops before it really begins for far too many students. These students enroll in college only to be told that they are not ready for college-level coursework. Historically, colleges and universities have attempted to close this gap by placing these students, who are disproportionately Black, Latinx, or experiencing poverty, in…