School principals are uniquely positioned to bring innovative programs to K-12 schools. Therapy dog programs are one such program that has received much attention from educational communities nationwide. The problem is that while several studies can be found proposing the benefits of therapy dog programs in school settings, there needs to be more…

The State of Nevada launched the "Nevada SafeVoice" anonymous tip line to prevent harmful events in schools and to promote student safety, health, and wellbeing. We assessed the extent to which "SafeVoice" contributed to reductions in school discipline incidents, youth suicides, and increases in the positive school climate.…

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…

This series of evaluation briefs explores the relationship between (a) school climate (as measured by the Brief School Climate Survey for elementary and secondary students), (b) student-level demographics, and (c) PBIS Fidelity (as measured by the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI). All briefs in this series include the same introductory information…

The community school strategy was first introduced in Baltimore City in 2012. Community schools are public elementary or secondary schools that provide comprehensive academic, social, and health services for students, families, and community members (U.S. Department of Education, 2023). In 2021, the state of Maryland made a substantial commitment…

A large body of evidence indicates that well-implemented social and emotional learning (SEL) programs improve academic, social, and emotional outcomes for students and educators. Education policy has the potential to influence the high-quality implementation of SEL, from the school district, to the school, to the classroom. Before and during the…

School leaders across the state of California seek tools to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline and improve school climates. Research suggests that restorative practices (RPs) have the potential to achieve these ends, particularly when staff throughout the school implement, and students throughout the school experience, these practices.…

We examined practices from whole-school sustainability programs in four U.S. K-12 institutions in the areas of educator values, skills, and support. Based on results from four school visits, 35 interviews, four classroom observations, and four campus tours, this study analyzes ways to support teachers with the implementation of K-12 sustainability…

Purpose: Contextual factors can influence the implementation of whole-school health promotion and compromise its impact among students. This study aimed to identify key (combinations of) contextual factors in the implementation of whole-school health promotion at Dutch primary, secondary and secondary vocational schools.…

This article describes how evaluators and stakeholders could combine their expertise to collaboratively evaluate a program designed to promote mental health in the school environment. The program, called Youth Mental Health First Aid USA (YMHFA), was designed to help young people cope with the early stages of mental health concerns. Specifically,…

The Virtual School Head (VSH) was, until September 2021, the Local Authority (LA) officer statutorily tasked with promoting the education of children looked after (CLA) and previously looked after children (PLAC). In 2021, following the publication of The Children in Need Review (DfE, 2018b) and subsequent research by the Universities of Bristol…

As school leaders continue to look for solutions to ongoing negative student behaviors, many schools have implemented the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports framework. The Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports framework supports educators and students using positive strategies for behavior, academic, social, emotional, and…

School closures due to the COVID-19 virus have presented schools with the responsibility to make unprecedented decisions, and have brought many deep-seated equity issues in the U.S. education system to light. Now, more than ever, it is evident that outdated, one-size-fits-all approaches to education exclude the most vulnerable students, creating…

The purpose of this study was to compare experiences of teachers and learners in the implementation of the National Strategy on Inclusive Education between primary and secondary schools in Malawi using a qualitative methodology with a phenomenological approach. The findings show that there is no clear difference in the way the National Strategy on…

Across the United States, educators and education leaders are increasingly recognizing the value of social and emotional learning (SEL), school climate, and related whole-person efforts as keys to enabling student success. Many school districts are still exploring or just beginning implementation of these whole-person efforts, and many have…