Despite efforts to reduce and prevent incidents, bullying behaviors remain prevalent in schools, leading to poor outcomes for all involved. While the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is one of the most extensively implemented school environment interventions in the USA, it has yet to yield consistently positive results across contexts,…

As evidence-based interventions are scaled, fidelity of implementation, and thus effectiveness, often wanes. Validated fidelity measures can improve researchers' ability to attribute outcomes to the intervention and help practitioners feel more confident in implementing the intervention as intended. We aim to provide a model for the validation of…

ABSTRACT Many youth seek and receive mental health treatment in schools, yet research on their perceptions of these interventions remains uncommon. This qualitative study explored how student perspectives on social validity informed the ongoing implementation and evaluation of the Well-Being Promotion Program (WBPP), a Tier 2 positive psychology…

LifeSkills Training is the only program to prevent substance use disorder among adolescents that has evidence of effects on substance use outcomes from multiple randomized controlled trials. Evaluations have shown that the version for middle school students reduces their use of substances in high school, but these studies were conducted in the…

BoSTEM, implemented by United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley and Boston Afterschool and Beyond, is a network of STEM-focused after school programs in the Boston area that provide high-quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) opportunities to Boston middle school students. Through an innovative citywide coalition of…

Across the country, career pathways programs are a popular bipartisan tool for addressing state workforce shortages and ensuring students graduate high school with workforce-ready skills. Delaware Pathways is one such example, formally established by executive order in 2016 by then-Delaware Gov. Jack Markell. The program consists of state-approved…

Background: In response to escalating concerns about the pervasive use of digital media and research documenting the impact on adolescent well-being and academic performance, schools are exploring opportunities to reverse these concerning trends. Many schools respond with full or partial bans on social media use during the school day; however,…

The purpose of this report is to present summative findings from a five-year EIR early-phase project that implemented and evaluated the ENpowered program. PRG conducted a rigorous impact and implementation evaluation of the ENpowered program's effect on middle school student outcomes. The impact study utilized a quasi-experimental design to…

The effects of transitions impact students across academic levels in many ways. The transition to high school can be a vulnerable time; moreover, it may be an optimal time for preventive interventions. As students matriculate and transition from middle to high school, a concentrated effort must be made to improve the practices to best support…

The leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States is tobacco product use. The 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey, which was completed in 2022, showed that the e-cigarette epidemic among youth continues to remain a public health threat. The survey revealed that over 2.5 million middle and high school students…

Background: For years, physical activity settings had portrayed a discourse that does not allow to add new and different elements in its practice. This discourse established a status quo that has affected in many ways the structure, the pedagogy and practice of physical activity settings. This is the case of out-school programs. Purpose: The…

This brief report describes findings from a single case withdrawal design study which explored the impact of training and emailed video prompts to promote a teacher's implementation of a culturally responsive teaching plan in a therapeutic school. Data collectors gathered implementation data as well as observed students' academic engagement and…

This study evaluates the Programming the Acceleration of Computing Education (PACE) Framework for Computer Science (CS) Systems Change, developed to promote equitable access to CS education for middle school students. Funded by an Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Early-Phase Grant, the intervention aimed to increase student understanding,…

In this case study, Katie Eichhorn, Kathy Gilbert, Myra Hall, Gretchen Lawyer, and Jill Nunez from Johnson STEAM Academy in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, share data showing improved reading results after their first year of implementation of Sounds-Write, including a successful partnership with a local middle school to use Sounds-Write with Grade 7 students…

Multitiered systems of support (MTSS) teams use data to match student needs with an appropriate Tier 2 intervention. School counselors mobilize quickly to provide evidence-based and culturally affirming interventions. We present a compilation of best practices for delivering culturally affirming, small-group Tier 2 interventions with fidelity.…