This meta-analysis synthesized findings from experimental and quasi-experimental studies examining the effects of Tier 2 early literacy interventions for dual language learners (DLLs), based on a comprehensive search of studies published between 2008 and 2024. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and contributed a total of 77 effect sizes. The authors used random-effects meta-analysis to estimate the overall impact of interventions and conducted mixed-effects meta-regression to examine potential moderators of effect size. Results indicated a statistically significant overall effect of Tier 2 early literacy interventions on DLLs’ literacy outcomes (g = 0.47, p < .001). Interventions delivered by school-based specialists (e.g., literacy specialists, speech-language pathologists) and research team members demonstrated larger effects than those delivered by classroom teachers. Similarly, interventions lasting 11–15 wk were more effective than shorter-duration interventions. These findings support the effectiveness of Tier 2 early literacy interventions for DLLs and highlight the importance of improving literacy outcomes for DLLs. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. Impact Statement This meta-analysis examined Tier 2 early literacy interventions for dual language learners (DLLs). Findings indicate that targeted small-group interventions have a significant impact on literacy outcomes, particularly when delivered by trained specialists over extended periods. These results provide actionable guidance for educators, school psychologists, and researchers dedicated to promoting equitable early literacy support for DLLs.

Universal mental health screening is recommended to schools to address youths’ growing mental health needs. Yet, adoption rates are disappointingly low. Understanding this gap between recommendations and implementation is critical for organizing strategies that increase uptake. Grounded within an established implementation science framework for adoption readiness, this study interviewed school district leaders (n = 12) from Florida with new state funding for mental health services to identify barriers to adoption, as well as potential solutions, in non-screening districts. Results from thematic analysis suggest both stakeholders’ motivation (e.g., perceived compatibility with district needs and values, relative advantage compared to existing practices) and capacity (e.g., knowledge of how to implement screening, staff availability, funding) factors are key challenges and potential avenues of change. Implementation support strategies targeting these factors are recommended. Impact Statement This study advances our understanding of factors that impact school districts’ adoption of universal mental health screening (UMHS). Results suggest that adoption requires motivation, a general capacity for change, and the specific capacity to implement UMHS in particular. The results of this study specify potential targets for policy and advocacy work that could increase the uptake of UMHS nationwide.

School psychologists’ understanding of culturally responsive practice in schools has evolved over the past several decades. Relevant research has centered instructional practices and behavioral supports, the latter of which have often been situated within an ecological-behavioral framework, specifically multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). Despite increased research on culturally responsive practice, few studies have solicited perspectives from students, caregivers, and educators to strengthen our understanding of how culturally responsive approaches can be applied within MTSS. This study presents findings from focus groups with 19 student, caregiver, and educator participants who described their conceptualizations of culturally responsive practice, resulting in 11 themes that emphasized the importance of valuing students’ and families’ identities, building trusting and collaborative relationships, as well as promoting strong systems of support. A model integrating culturally responsive approaches with an ecological-behavioral model and relational systems theory is presented. It is explored with implications for school-based practice and future research. Impact Statement Focus groups soliciting student, caregiver and educators’ perspectives resulted in 11 themes to strengthen MTSS-b as an ecological-behavioral framework integrating both culturally responsive practice and relational systems theory. Future research is needed to evaluate the application of these themes, with a specific emphasis on their impact on the experiences and outcomes of youth with marginalized identities.

Although substantial research has examined school professionals’ treatment fidelity, few studies have directly investigated students’ intervention adherence. To date, no studies have explored students’ self-assessments of their intervention adherence. This study examined the correspondence between 88 third-grade students’ assessments of their adherence to a class-wide Cover-Copy-Compare spelling intervention and their permanent products. Additionally, it investigated whether outcomes on self-adherence assessments and permanent product reviews predicted their post-intervention spelling performance. Results indicated that students displayed high levels of adherence based on both self-adherence assessments and permanent product reviews. Furthermore, in the final model, students’ self-adherence assessments and pre-intervention spelling performance emerged as significant predictors of post-intervention spelling performance. Conversely, permanent product reviews did not significantly predict post-intervention spelling performance. These findings support the use of student self-assessments in the context of self-managed interventions, which have specific implications for the conceptualization of treatment integrity in future research. Impact Statement Examining how students adhere to interventions helps distinguish whether challenges stem from the design of the intervention or from how it was implemented, enabling more accurate interpretation of the outcomes. Student self-adherence assessments provide a practical and accessible means of evaluating fidelity in self-regulated interventions and may offer predictive value for outcomes beyond traditional treatment integrity measures.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an approach that aims to promote psychological flexibility (PF). Although it has shown to be effective in adult populations, there is relatively little research on ACT with children. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify and characterize the peer-reviewed literature on ACT in elementary-aged populations with a focus on intervention and assessment characteristics, implementation, and study quality. The total sample included 22 articles using ACT with participants between five and 12 years of age. Articles were coded for characteristics pertaining to treatment, participants, implementation, setting, assessment, and design. Results found that although ACT is understudied in elementary-age populations compared to adolescents and adults, it has been used to promote positive outcomes across a large number of dependent variables, settings, and youth demographic groups. Specifically, 19 of the 22 included students reported statistically significantly improvements in at least one outcome, five of which were conducted in school settings. These promising findings indicate a need for more ACT work, particularly in school settings where mental health service delivery is becoming increasingly more common. Implications for both researchers and school-based mental health professionals are discussed. Impact Statement Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a promising treatment to reduce symptoms of psychological distress and increase mental well-being, including psychological flexibility. Although it is under-researched in elementary-aged youth, this systematic review synthesized the nascent literature and examined how ACT is being implemented with young children. These results open doors for future ACT research and practice with elementary-aged youth and highlight the need for more school-based ACT research.

Parent training programs have demonstrated effectiveness in supporting children’s mental health. However, there remains a dearth of evidence-based, culturally-sensitive parent training programs available for immigrant families with adolescents. This gap is particularly salient for Chinese American families, who face unique cultural and linguistic barriers in accessing evidence-based mental health support while experiencing systemic challenges. In collaboration with Chinese language schools, we developed Parent-Child Connect, a six-week (two hours/week) parent training program specifically for Chinese American parents with adolescents (10–18 years old) to promote parent-child communication, reduce conflict, address bullying/discrimination, and support youth mental health. This study used a quasi-experimental design with a sample of 116 Chinese immigrant parents (M age = 45.63; SD age = 5.66) to examine the effectiveness of the program. Results indicated that Parent-Child Connect was effective for improving parenting practices, sense of competence, parent-child communication, and parent perception of youth mental health, compared to the waitlist-control group. Parents’ sense of competence and child mental health difficulties at baseline served as moderators. Parents who attended more sessions benefited more from the program. Parentsy were highly satisfied with the intervention. The Parent-Child Connect intervention addressed the unique cultural and linguistic needs of Chinese American families. Impact Statement This is the first quasi-experimental design to evaluate the Parent-Child Connect intervention, a culturally responsive parent training program for Chinese immigrant parents. Results showed that Parent-Child Connect intervention was effective in enhancing parenting practices, sense of competence, parent-child communication, and parents’ perception of youth mental health. Parent-Child Connect addressed the unique cultural and linguistic needs of Chinese American families and increased their access to culturally relevant mental health services.

Scholars have developed several theoretical models to increase implementation of culturally sustaining practices (CSP) by teachers. However, in order to evaluate teacher performance of CSP in their classrooms, researchers agree that better measures are needed. This study explored the acceptability and validity of a new CSP teacher survey and observational measure developed in the context of a larger study seeking to build a multi-rater set of measurement tools of CSP. Seventeen teachers participated in focus groups revealing a major theme regarding the discomfort and challenges they were experiencing implementing CSP. Three subthemes related to the acceptability and accuracy of the survey measure were uncovered in the analysis: (a) managing data access and use, (b) allowable CSP in their school context, and (c) misunderstandings about the definition of CSP. Three subthemes related to the acceptability and accuracy of the observational measure were also noted: (a) comfort and experience with live observations, (b) opportunity for observing CSP, and (c) usable feedback from the observation. This study provides valuable input from teachers and has broad implications for the development and implementation of measures of CSP in schools. Impact Statement Accurate and acceptable measures of culturally sustaining practices are needed in schools. Teacher feedback highlights concern about data use, challenges in implementation and misunderstandings about the definition of culturally sustaining practices, as well as support for future efforts to assess culturally sustaining practices.

Despite increasing interest in promoting well-being among children and adolescents, few evidence-based interventions have been evaluated, particularly in Latin America. This study assessed the effectiveness of PromoBIENdo, a multidimensional and multicomponent school-based program designed to promote well-being, in early adolescents (6th and 7th grade) using a quasi-experimental design. One hundred and twenty-three 6th and 7th-grade students participated, with 67 in the experimental group. No statistically significant differences were found between groups in age or sex before the intervention. The experimental group engaged in all four modules of the program over 12 consecutive weeks. Post-intervention results indicated that students in the experimental group showed statistically significantly higher levels of overall subjective well-being, as well as greater satisfaction with school, peers, and themselves, both in pre-post measures and compared to the control group. Additionally, the experimental group did not exhibit the typical developmental decline in well-being observed in the control group. Effect sizes ranged from small to large (e.g., η2ₚ = 0.171 for school satisfaction), indicating meaningful impacts of the program. These findings provide preliminary evidence supporting the effectiveness of PromoBIENdo in promoting subjective well-being in children and underscore the relevance of implementing universal, evidence-based interventions in school settings to support mental health. Impact Statement This study provides initial evidence that a school-based, multidimensional well-being program can effectively improve students’ satisfaction with school, peers, and themselves. The findings highlight the importance of integrating mental health promotion into school daily activities, especially in socially vulnerable contexts.

Emerging research demonstrates that culturally specific social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions for Black and Latinx youth can improve outcomes. However, the intersectional experiences of Afrolatinx youth, who embody both Black and Latinx identities, are completely absent in the school psychology literature. This manuscript addresses that gap by overviewing Afrolatinx identity, including its historical origins and contemporary context in the United States, and by detailing how structural forces such as colorism, mestizaje, and anti-Blackness shape schooling experiences. We then review existing SEL frameworks for Black and Latinx students and introduce transformative social-emotional learning (T-SEL) as a foundation for culturally responsive practices. Finally, we propose an Afrolatinx-centered approach that integrates Nguzo Saba with core Latinx cultural values to inform more inclusive T-SEL/SEL strategies. This represents a unique contribution by intentionally bridging African and Latinx cultural traditions rather than adapting single-identity models. School professionals can apply this framework to better support Afrolatinx youth. Impact Statement Afrolatinx populations are understudied in the context of school psychological research and practice. The intersection of an African-centered theoretical framework with Latinx cultural values in a transformative social-emotional learning (T-SEL) and social-emotional learning aspect is a promising method to help children who identify as Afrolatinx.

Compared to other professional psychology disciplines, the field of school psychology has some of the lowest percentages of full-time faculty who are racially and ethnically minoritized (REM). This signifies an urgent problem for many reasons, including a mismatch between faculty and the increasing diversity of K-12 students and school psychologists’ central role in providing services to all students. The field of school psychology has made little progress on fostering a student-to-faculty pipeline for REM individuals. In this conceptual paper, we propose applying the critical school psychology framework to address the leaky pipeline. Through the lens of the framework, we highlight three primary leaks in recruiting and retaining REM students and faculty. Applying the framework, we articulate the new knowledge and spaces that are needed in school psychology programs. Additionally, using an autoethnographic approach, we describe the lived experiences of the authors to make connections to the larger social, cultural and political issues underlying the leaky pipeline. In doing so, we highlight the role that programs, universities, and the field play in challenging oppressive practices and promoting practices that bring about equitable and liberatory education and mental health services for all children and families. Impact Statement In this conceptual article, we highlight the primary challenges that school psychology programs face in effectively recruiting and retaining racially and ethnically minoritized faculty. Using the critical school psychology framework, we weave together the extant literature and our own lived experiences to advocate for the new knowledge and spaces that are needed in school psychology graduate preparation programs. In doing so, we offer strategies to advance graduate and faculty preparation through a social justice lens in alignment with the goals of the 2023-24 Futures Conference.