As universal social-emotional learning (SEL) programs have become more common in K-12 schools, implementation practices have been found to affect program quality. However, research examining how multiple facets of program implementation interrelate and impact student outcomes, especially under routine conditions in schools, is still limited. As…

Early child care and education providers provide instruction to diverse learners, including children with developmental delays but often lack training in use of evidence-based instructional strategies to support children's meaningful learning engagement. This preliminary study examined effects of the Early Achievements for Child Care Providers…

As the rates of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) increase and early screening efforts intensify, more toddlers with high likelihood of ASD are entering the United States' (US') publicly funded early intervention system. Early intervention service delivery for toddlers with ASD varies greatly based on state resources and regulations. Research…

This cluster-randomized efficacy trial evaluated the impact of the Ready for Wages intervention, a classroom-based social skills program designed to improve the employability of youth living and being educated in juvenile justice settings. Fifteen juvenile justice facility schools participated. Data were collected from 118 classrooms: 59 treatment…

Purpose: A prior randomized trial found a school social intervention yielded significantly better outcomes (social and autism features) immediately following intervention compared to typical school programming (services-as-usual [SAU]) for children on the autism spectrum. In that study, children in the SAU condition subsequently completed a summer…

Background: Research trials of early intervention (EI) programs for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) generally demonstrate medium-to-large gains, on average, compared with "treatment as usual," in different developmental domains. Almost all children with ASD receive their treatment through community-based services, however,…

"The Upstart Great Plains TASK Force: Taking All to Success in Kindergarten" was a five-year Education, Innovation and Research (EIR) expansion grant (U411A180001) funded through the US Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Four research studies were conducted during the grant period of 2018 to 2023: a…

This study examined reading, math, writing, social, behavioral, and communication learning goals for a large, national sample of elementary students with complex support needs served in one of four types of educational placements. Each goal was coded for three quality characteristics: (1) strengths-focus, (2) inclusion of self-determination…

Teacher stress is at an all-time high, negatively impacting the quality of education and student outcomes. In recent years, mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to promote wellbeing and reduce stress among healthy adults. In particular, mindfulness-based interventions enhance emotion regulation and reduce psychological distress. One…

Preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with social-communication and play challenges and would benefit from interventions targeting these skills. One way to ensure this is by engaging parents in technological supports to learn about an intervention and increase home-school collaboration. Thus, a website could potentially address…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between students' social-emotional behavior and their later academic outcomes from a person-centered perspective. To better inform social-emotional learning intervention practices, a person-centered approach was used to identify students' social-emotional behavior profiles based on seven…

Classroom teachers are often the primary implementers of universal social-emotional learning (SEL) in U.S. elementary schools with first-hand insight on translating programs into authentic settings and local contexts. This study examined social validity and cultural relevance ratings, indicators of implementation, and feedback from 57 first- and…

"Partners Advancing Childhood Education" ("PACE") is an Investing in Innovation (i3) development grant funded by the Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education. "PACE" is a family engagement program that enhances family engagement skills among educators and leadership skills among parents to…

Objective: To evaluate the benefits of the Fast Track Friendship Group program implemented as a stand-alone school-based intervention on the social cognitions, social behavior, peer and teacher relationships of peer-rejected students. Method: Over four successive years, 224 peer-rejected elementary students (57% White, 17% Black, 20% Latinx, 5%…

The educational services available for fully included middle schoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the general education setting are not well known. Even less is known about how the executive functioning (EF) deficits of such youth are addressed in the classroom. The current study sought to identify the challenges, including EF, that…