For over a century, schools have been hoping that instilling knowledge of the US civic system--how a bill becomes a law, the three branches of government, the history of constitutional amendments--would lead young people to embrace the concept of democracy and commit to engaging in it. Yet today, young people's trust in democratic institutions has…

Academic attainment is a core education policy priority. Wellbeing is recognized as critical for adolescent development, and is linked to academic attainment. Yet research with adolescents primarily focuses on life satisfaction or overall wellbeing, despite differentiating conceptually between two wellbeing components "feeling" good…

The psychological impacts of war on young learners' social and emotional development are examined in this integrated review. Not only can war and armed conflict have a profound influence on individual children, but they also negatively affect the entire family system. The difficulties associated with relocation, migration, and acclimatisation to…

School choice research is abundant, but rarely incorporates students' experiences or perspectives. This study investigates a diverse group of students' school choice experiences as they applied to, gained admission to and enrolled in high school in Chicago Public Schools, which offers over 130 options. Adapting Ball and colleagues' (2012) concept…

The Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) is expanding its role as the premier policy and practice organization advocating for secondary school reform through its Science of Adolescent Learning (SAL) initiative. Learning and development research shows that adolescence is a time of great opportunity and risk. This unique stage of human…

Over the next two years, public education faces a critical moment created by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act requiring states and school districts to identify underperforming schools and create evidence-based plans to improve learning experiences and academic performance of all students. This report recommends key strategies for ensuring…

"It Takes an Ecosystem" explores the idea and potential of the Allied Youth Fields--an aspirational term that suggests increased connection across the multiple systems in which adults engage with young people. Recent research and initiatives make a strong case for what developmentalists have argued for decades: A young person's learning…

There is an increasing appreciation that, in order to prepare learners for success in life, they require a holistic education providing not only academic skills, but also psychosocial competencies (Zins & Elias, 2006). Outdoor adventure education (OAE) shows potential as a way of developing these life skills, which are not easy to incorporate…

Indigenous youth in Canada grow up in communities shaped by the enduring political and economic legacies of settler colonialism. These legacies continue through systemic marginalisation, manifesting in strained sociocultural resources, intergenerational trauma, and poorer psychosocial outcomes for youth. To redress these outcomes, communities are…

Adverse childhood experiences (typically referred to as ACEs) are potentially traumatic experiences and events, ranging from abuse and neglect to parental incarceration. A growing body of research has made it increasingly apparent that ACEs are a critical public health issue that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being in…

Adolescence is a time of transition characterized by rapid physical, neurological, cognitive, and socioemotional development. As students move toward adulthood, their bodies and minds change. Those changes affect how they learn and, likewise, should influence how educators interact with youth. This Alliance for Excellent Education report…

Interpersonal relationships during adolescence can be powerful avenues for personal development. As school is a universal context for youth, positive teacher-student relationships (TSRs) are one potential source for such developmentally promotive relationships. Unfortunately, research has shown a decline in the quality of teacher-student…

Social and emotional learning, or SEL, involves the processes through which individuals acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage their emotions, feel and show empathy for others, establish and achieve positive goals, develop and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible…

Changes in their brains, combined with a greater awareness of peers and events around them, make adolescence a key time for students to figure out who they are, what they aspire to be, and what they want to do in the world. This Alliance for Excellent Education report explores how human identity and self-regulation develop during adolescence and…

During adolescence, students experience a variety of biological changes in their bodies and brains. This Alliance for Excellent Education report argues that by understanding these changes--as well as the science behind student learning and development--education leaders can take advantage of this second critical window of development to support…