Background: High school staff can play a key role in supporting students with LGBTQ+ identities through informal strategies; however, more research is needed to understand how staff are employing these strategies. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews, collecting information on informal strategies used to support students identifying as…

Background: The school climate concept has been promising, but has long-standing critiques that have not been adequately addressed to date. The "School as a Protective Factor" approach represents one attempt to offer a new approach that builds on and extends beyond the concept of school climate while addressing previously identified…

Background: Chronic and complex medical issues, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), have significant educational implications. The purpose of this study was to identify and summarize the literature on care coordination strategies among health care professionals, educators, and caregivers for children with special health care needs (CSHCN).…

Background: Previous studies demonstrate a relationship between body dissatisfaction and substance use and suicidal ideation among older adolescent girls and young women while less documentation exists for early adolescence. This study explored the relationship between reported weight loss attempts and substance use history and suicidal thoughts…

Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth experience poor physical and mental health outcomes relative to their non-LGBTQ peers. School health professionals (SHPs), such as school nurses, play a key role in addressing LGBTQ student health needs. However, few studies examine school health needs of…

Background: The whole school, whole community, whole child (WSCC) model suggests wellness councils, ongoing review of wellness policy, and a plan for evaluating set objectives are some of the key features needed to support school wellness infrastructure. This study explored the relationship between implementation of these infrastructure features…

Background: Grief and loss are common experiences for children and adolescents, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Educators feel unprepared to support grieving students due to lack of training. We studied educator experiences receiving grief-sensitive training as part of the grief-sensitive schools initiative (GSSI), which provides…

Background: Approximately 20% of US children are obese and these rates are expected to increase. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides meals to millions of students and may influence their body mass index (BMI). This study aimed to investigate whether students who participate in the NSLP have a higher BMI when compared to those that do…

Background: School recess offers students a break from the rigors and immobility of academic learning, and a chance for social interaction, play, and physical activity. The recess literature is based on elementary schools, with little attention to older students. Early adolescents also need school breaks, and this study offers some of the first…

Background: It is estimated that approximately 90% of children in foster care have experienced a traumatic event, with nearly half reporting exposure to 4 or more types of traumatic events. Educators must remain alert to indicators suggesting a history of trauma and understand the difficulties foster youth may face regulating their emotions and…

Background: Pediatric programs focused on treating chronic pain often do not include an educational liaison (EL) to coordinate services between the patient's medical home and school. As chronic pain in youth can have deleterious effects on school functioning, collaboration between the medical home and the school system are needed to assure these…

Background: Returning to learn following a concussion is the process of managing a student's recovery during the school day by implementation of academic supports with varying intensity. Due to a lack of consensus or even guidance on Return to Learn, this paper set out to establish cross discipline consensus on some essential elements of Return to…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused interruptions to the K-12 US school landscape since spring 2020. Methods: In summer 2020, we completed a pilot study utilizing interviews (n = 13) with school staff (ie, nurses, educators) from across the United States. We aimed to understand the status of school operation and re-entry plans after the…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic elevated mental health needs among students. As such, in 2022 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) introduced the Comprehensive Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Policy to deliver mental health awareness and services to all pK-12th grade students. While transitioning back to in-person learning, an evaluation was…

Background: School nurses play a vital role in ensuring the health and well-being of their students, but little is known about menstrual products and resources available in schools. This study assessed period product resources and needs in Missouri schools from the perspective of school nurses and analyzed differences by district enrollment…