School-wide Practices Research Articles

Toward Certification of Bilingual School Psychologists: Process, Competencies, and Visions

A critical shortage of bilingual school psychologists (BSPs) prepared to provide high quality services to Multilingual Learners (MLs) has driven the work of the California Consortium for Bilingual School Psychology (CCBSP). CCBSP members collaborated to develop the 13 bilingual school psychology competencies presented in this paper, which are organized into four major areas: (a) Foundations in school psychologists’ service delivery with MLs, (b) School-wide practices that promote learning with MLs, (c) Direct and indirect services for MLs, families, and schools; and (d) Specific skills, knowledge, and practices. Each competency is described herein, and the alignment with the NASP domains of practice and the School Psychology Performance Expectations in California are highlighted. Challenges to certification are discussed, along with a brief example illustrating the process undertaken by one consortium subgroup to prepare BSPs in accordance with competencies. Additionally, a vision for next steps in the journey to certify BSPs is articulated. Impact Statement The California Consortium for Bilingual School Psychology (CCBSP) has identified 13 competencies bilingual school psychologists (BSPs) must demonstrate to provide high quality services to the increasing Multilingual Learner (ML) population. In this paper, we present each of these competencies. One goal of the CCBSP is to create a way to certify BSPs who demonstrate these competencies.

Associations between school-wide practices and school-wide bullying: Advancing the cross-country understanding of teachers' perspectives from the U.S. and China.

To understand the role of different school-wide practices in school-wide bullying prevention in the global context, this present study was guided by the social-ecological framework to examine cross-country similarities and differences in the association between three forms of school-wide practices (i.e., punitive, positive, and social and emotional learning [SEL] practices) and school-wide bullying between United States (n = 1,833) and Chinese (n = 1,627) teachers from middle and high schools. Measurement invariance tests confirmed that the associations between the three forms of school-wide practices and school-wide bullying were comparable across the two countries. Results of multilevel analyses suggested that more frequent positive practices at the between-school level were associated with increased school-wide bullying in the United States but decreased school-wide bullying in the Chinese. Also, more frequent punitive practices at the within-school level were associated with increased school-wide bullying in both the U.S. and Chinese samples, and this positive association between punitive practices and school-wide bullying was significantly stronger in the Chinese sample than in the U.S. sample. More frequent punitive practices at the between-school level were also associated with increased school-wide bullying in the U.S. sample, but not in the Chinese sample. Moreover, the frequent SEL practices at the within-school level were significantly associated with decreased school-wide bullying in the United States, but not in China; the frequent SEL practices at the between-school level were associated with decreased school-wide bullying in the United States but increased school-wide bullying in China. Implications for school-wide practices in bullying prevention and intervention with sociocultural considerations were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Effective Schoolwide Practices in Support of Students With Extensive Support Needs in an Inclusive Elementary School

While federal law requires public schools to provide students with disabilities a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, students with extensive support needs are excluded from general education at alarming rates, raising concerns about equity of access to education. Purposeful school systems in which students’ needs can be met are critical to establish for schools working towards inclusion. The current study used qualitative case study methods to identify schoolwide practices contributing to the successful inclusion of students with extensive support needs in an urban elementary school. Eight interviews with school stakeholders – teachers, parents, a paraprofessional, and an administrator – were conducted. Results revealed formal collaboration structures were embedded within the school’s program, offering teachers and staff consistent opportunities to work together. Four school systems were also found to be critical for the school’s inclusion model, including the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support framework, instructional coaching practices, hiring, and scheduling. The study adds to the literature by detailing inclusive practices, intended to provide administrators with an example of how common systems are operationalized within an effective inclusion model. Future research to support the implementation of systems and practices is discussed.

A school-wide digital programme has context specific impacts on self-regulation but not social skills

It is assumed that digital tools with ubiquitous classroom use have affordances for student agency and a range of social skills. However, few studies have explored the generalised impact of everyday digital classrooms on self-regulation and empathy, perspective taking and prosocial skills. Ten and 11 year old students’ ( n = 115) ratings of self-regulation, social skills and personality were examined in relationship to school-wide practices and instructional foci in two groups of schools ( n = 9) involved in a digital innovation serving low-SES culturally diverse communities. In an early adopting group, students had received a high dosage of three or 4 years of 1:1 digital pedagogy, and in a later adopting group of schools, students had received a low dosage of only 6 months . This natural experiment revealed a context specific effect where high dosage students rated their regulation in digital contexts higher, but not in more general non-digital contexts. However, personality scores particularly those related to self-regulation, were higher for the high dosage students. There were no differences in social skills. The differences were related to the strong focus in the digital innovation on aspects of self-regulation. There was less focus on social skills in the digital innovation. More deliberate teacher augmentation and instructional designs for social skills may be required to capitalise on the affordances of digital tools. School-wide practices, while necessary may not be sufficient to enable the generalisation of skills without this deliberate teacher focus.

Addressing Challenging Behaviours in the Classroom: Perceptions of Teachers in Poland

ABSTRACT The aim of this qualitative study was to description and interpretation of experiences and perceptions of teachers working with students who have challenging behaviours in various types of school settings in Poland. Teachers’ experiences and perceptions provided insights and understandings into action strategies, in the case of the teachers who were interviewed, their assessing student difficulties and the effectiveness of various behavioural interventions. The data obtained from teacher interviews revealed their classroom management practices as well as their perceptions on the efficacy of their respective schoolwide practices for supporting students with behaviour support needs.

“It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint”: The Implementation and Outcomes of a Yearlong Racial Justice Intervention

Although scholarship documenting the effects of racism on educational outcomes is extensive, less empirical research has been done on interventions designed to mitigate racism and racial bias in schools. Based on case studies of two elementary schools, we have found that educators participating in a yearlong racial justice program demonstrated a deeper understanding of their own racial biases, developed a shared language to identify and name different forms of racism, and reported greater confidence to disrupt racist incidents in their schools. In one site, however, inconsistent leadership and resistance from a vocal White minority limited the program’s potential to change schoolwide practice. In the other site, educators reported changes in curricular materials and changes to disciplinary decisions, but widespread organizational change will likely take longer than a single school year. Drawing on these findings, we discuss implications for anti-racist interventions in other educational contexts as well as recommendations for studying their efficacy.

Enhancing School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Tier 1 core practices to improve disciplinary equity

Addressing racial disparities in school discipline is an urgent and widespread issue facing US schools. One approach to improve racial equity in school discipline practice is to enhance the contextual fit of empirically validated schoolwide practices. Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is a widely implemented and research-validated approach shown to improve behavioral and academic outcomes, yet evidence suggests students of color remain disproportionately disciplined in schools implementing the SWPBIS framework to fidelity. Contextual fit is a core principle of SWPBIS, but in practice, schools may lack effective strategies to enhance equity using the framework’s tier 1 core practices. This article describes promising enhancements to universal school practices aimed at reducing school discipline disparities.

The Effects of Principal Support on Teachers’ Professional Skills: The Mediating Role of School-Wide Inclusive Practices and Teacher Agency

ABSTRACT The present study focuses on the relationships between principal support, school-wide inclusive practices, teacher agency, and teachers’ professional skills in the Chinese context of inclusive education – Learning in Regular Classroom. Data were collected from 1,676 primary and junior high school teachers in China. Results of structural equation modelling demonstrated that principal support had a significant effect on teachers’ professional skills; the chain mediating role of school-wide inclusive practices and teacher agency on the relationship between principal support and teachers’ professional skills was also significant. These results suggest the direct and indirect roles of school principal in promoting inclusive education teachers’ professional skills. The results also highlight the significant effects of school environment on inclusive education teachers’ professional development. We consider implications for practice at the end of the paper.

School–family partnerships to support positive behavior: assessing social validity and intervention fidelity

One critical feature of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) is the inclusion of families in the implementation of schoolwide systems and practices. However, research on family engagement within PBIS has focused almost exclusively on families of students with intensive behavior support needs, with little emphasis on fostering engagement with families of students with less severe behavioral challenges. This mixed–methods study examined the implementation of Partnering for Positive Behavior (PPB), a teacher–family member shared decision–making process designed to address the needs of students struggling to meet classroom behavioral expectations, by four teacher–family member dyads from two elementary schools implementing PBIS. Results show that teachers were able to implement PPB with fidelity and suggest that all participants perceived the process as acceptable, feasible, and useable.

Leading school improvement through goal-setting: Evidence from New Zealand schools

Many studies claim the importance of goal-setting for school improvement but few outline specific practices. This study highlights specific goal-setting practices associated with successful school improvement efforts. It reports on a 2-year collaborative research project, which closely examined three principals’ goal-setting practices in the context of their schools. It documents principals’ and staffs’ efforts to improve equity in outcomes through detailed case studies. Case studies drew on principal and teacher interview data, workshop artifacts and discussion recordings, observations, school reports and school achievement data. The in-depth case and cross-case analyses focused on micro-level leadership practices and their impact on school-wide practices. This study highlights four key leadership drivers for improvement. These include: justifying goals in ways that challenge teachers’ beliefs about current achievement to raise commitment; embedding tight and rigourous monitoring practices with a focus on problem-solving and improvement; distributing responsibility and leadership; and developing the capability and collective responsibility of middle leaders. Our discussion highlights how leaders’ belief systems can enable or constrain their ability to influence their schools’ cultures.

Educational change doesn’t come easy: lead teachers’ work as change agents

Despite research highlighting the negative impact of ability grouping on student outcomes in mathematics, the practice seems entrenched in New Zealand schools. The Ministry of Education launched a professional development initiative with the aim that mathematics lead teachers would drive change towards teaching in mixed-ability groups using a problem-solving pedagogy. Lead teachers were seen as uniquely positioned to promote change within schools. This study examined lead teachers’ changes in their own practice and that affected in their schools following the initiative. The study used a problem-based methodology. Through careful, in-depth interviews with lead teachers from six primary schools, the researchers examined lead teachers’ theories-of-action and the extent to which they were able to affect change. Findings showed different levels of change in lead teachers’ own and their school’s practice. Only two lead teachers made considerable changes in their own practice, and only one could fully incorporate mixed-ability grouping into school-wide practices. Analyses across the six cases revealed four factors impacting lead teachers’ ability to affect change: positional authority, senior leadership support, expertise in content and pedagogy, and changing teacher beliefs to bring about change. The study concludes that while the notion of lead teachers implementing change through working closely with their colleagues seems exciting and promising, the conditions for teacher leadership to be effective need to be met. Furthermore, the case of this national initiative shows that shortcuts in professional development are ineffective, especially for a matter so disputed and entrenched as ability grouping in mathematics.

Teacher engagement in professional learning: what makes the difference to teacher practice?

ABSTRACT Certain characteristics of teacher professional learning opportunities are known to promote engagement by teachers; however, the successful translation of new knowledge into inclusive teaching practice remains challenging. A greater understanding of teacher motivation for engagement with professional learning opportunities may assist in understanding why particular opportunities result in changes in teacher practices. Within the co-design process of an online professional learning platform, nine teachers described professional learning opportunities which had led to changes in individual or school-wide teaching practices. Thematic analysis of the transcripts revealed a complex interaction between themes which were conceptualised as external or internal to the individual teachers. However, engagement in professional learning opportunities that led to practice change was strongly mediated by teacher perceptions of the credibility and authenticity of both the content and the person delivering the content. The meta-theme of credibility and authenticity is considered in terms of teacher motivation and engagement.

Trauma-informed practices in a laboratory middle school

This article explores how a laboratory middle school (LMS) serving students from low-performing elementary schools and students with academic or social-emotional challenges is developing as a trauma-responsive school. The authors explore the literature, school/community context, student cases, and the ways in which classroom and school-wide practices are trauma-informed. Trauma-informed practices focus on individual students as well as whole classroom and school-wide initiatives, potentially benefiting all, not only those students experiencing trauma. At LMS, a community of care system, evaluation committee, tribe and village meetings, the democratic classroom approach, project-based learning, as well as focused enrichment and remediation are all initiatives that have demonstrated some success. Documentation of such successes merits exploration in other middle schools. The LMS team seeks to understand and implement highest leverage practice as students are challenged academically, their socioemotional needs are supported, and resiliency is built not only in the classroom but also in the lives of the young adolescents themselves.

Building Student Ownership and Responsibility: Examining Student Outcomes from a Research-Practice Partnership

This article is situated at the intersection of two trends in education research: a growing emphasis on the importance of co-cognitive traits and the emergence of research-practice partnerships to more effectively scale effective practices. Our partnership focused on building student ownership and responsibility for their learning, which means creating school-wide practices that foster a culture of learning and engagement among students. We find no evidence of an overall relationship between the student ownership and responsibility innovation and student outcomes that is robust to model specification. However, when results are separated by school, two schools each saw increased student grades and fewer absences that persisted across both years of implementation. We also use qualitative data about the quality of implementation to understand how school-level engagement in the improvement partnership may be related to observed outcomes.

RULER: A Theory-Driven, Systemic Approach to Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process of integrating cognition, emotion, and behavior in our lives. In school settings, it involves systemic practices to incorporate SEL into leading, teaching, learning such that adults and children build self- and social awareness, learn to manage their own and other’s emotions and behavior, make responsible decisions, and build positive relationships. Here, we describe RULER, a systemic evidence-based approach to SEL, including its Theory of Change, and key theories that are foundational to the approach. RULER’s implementation model also is described, which involves training for school leaders, educators, and staff; integrating SEL into the curriculum across grade levels; infusing SEL into schoolwide practices and policies; and engaging families and the broader community. RULER’s current and expected outcomes for children and adults are reviewed, including both proximal (e.g., more developed emotion skills and enhanced classroom climate) and distal (e.g., reduced teacher stress and burnout and greater academic performance) outcomes. RULER’s future directions also are discussed.

CCBD’s Position Executive Summary on School-Based Mental Health Services

[Image omitted: See PDF.]This document provides administrative recommendations of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD) regarding the need for school-based mental health services (SBMHS) in schools ([Kern et al., 2017]). It includes (a) an introduction, (b) key considerations for successful SBMHS, and (c) recommendations regarding local, state, and federal administrative guidelines. Examples of specific recommendations are designated by italics.Consistent and compelling evidence indicates that the mental health needs of our school-age population are not being met and there is a need for SBMHS (e.g., [Forness, Kim, & Walker, 2012]). Although mental health services may be available outside of the school setting, such services are rarely utilized (e.g., [Langer et al., 2015]). The consequences of insufficient mental health services have been chronicled for decades and can be seen in the form of poor educational attainment, juvenile delinquency, compromised physical health, substance abuse, underemployment, and ultimately premature mortality ([Brooks, Harris, Thrall, & Woods, 2002]; [Cicchetti & Rogosch, 2002]; [Ghandour, Kogan, Blumberg, Jones, & Perrin, 2012]). In addition, youth mental illness has been estimated to cost society approximately US$247 million annually when factors such as health care, special education services, juvenile justice services, and decreased productivity are considered ([Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013]).In the last 20 years, media has highlighted instances of school violence ranging from bullying to drug distribution to mass shootings. Comprehensive SBMHS can provide the structure to facilitate early identification, prevention, and intervention to prevent escalation of mental health issues in a timely manner (e.g., [Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011]). SBMHS are effective for families and children from varied cultural backgrounds and result in increases in prosocial behavior, appropriate classroom behavior, and academic achievement of participating students (e.g., [Harry, 2008]).Keys to Effective SBMHSProgrammatic ConsiderationsAdministrative support is necessary to build infrastructure, ensure efficient allocation and use of resources, enhance implementation with fidelity, and facilitate organizational management. The use of evidence-based practices is a critical expectation of SBMHS in that instructional practices should be supported by high quality research that offers empirical demonstration of effectiveness ([Weist et al., 2014]). With a focus on prevention, the initiation or worsening of mental health challenges can be mediated ([Anello et al., 2016]). A preventive approach relies on instructional procedures that teach the skills needed for healthy development and positive social interactions. Curricular components of a tiered intervention delivery system help educators target specific instructional strategies to students at different levels of need. Any instruction or intervention should reflect culturally responsive practices, particularly as racial and ethnic disproportionality have been documented in identification, as well as the types and quality of school-based special education and mental health services for students with emotional disorders ([Clauss-Ehlers, Serpell, & Weist, 2013]). Such practices would include specific teacher training in culturally responsive pedagogy and positive support strategies.Schoolwide PracticesAn essential schoolwide practice is regular and universal screening of all students to identify those with and at-risk for mental health challenges, rather than waiting the estimated 8 to 10 years to provide services after symptoms of mental illness first appear ([Lane, Menzies, Oakes, & Kalberg, 2012]). In addition, it is critical that schools have crisis plans and procedures that (a) define the events that are crises, (b) identify and train a crisis team, (c) determine how to assess trauma levels, (d) delineate how to access resources and support, (e) specify reporting procedures, and (f) include review procedures. …

The Impact of Conducting Practitioner Research Projects on Teachers’ Professional Growth

There is growing interest in the effectiveness of practitioner research for promoting teachers' professional learning. It is important to determine if and why practitioner research is effective for teachers, however, it is also necessary to determine what support they need to develop research skills to design and implement practitioner research. This article reports on a year-long pilot study that aimed to design a model of professional learning to enhance teachers' research skills and support them to conduct their own research. The study involved 11 participants from four schools. Eight full-day workshops were designed to develop research skills and scaffold the research projects. Participants were surveyed at the beginning of the study and interviewed mid-way and at the end. The findings indicated professional growth for all participants both in terms of research skills and other professional outcomes, such as enhanced classroom or school-wide practice.

School-wide practices associated with school climate in elementary, middle, and high schools

School-wide practices associated with school climate in elementary, middle, and high schools

The Perspectives of Students With and Without Disabilities on Inclusive Schools

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of students with and without disabilities being educated in inclusive schools, documenting their perceptions of the culture of their school, inclusion, and the practices that were implemented to support all students. Focus groups were conducted with 86 students with and without disabilities from six schools that were recognized as exemplars of inclusive schoolwide practices. Three major themes emerged: (a) students’ sense of belonging in their school culture, (b) inclusion and its impact on students, and (c) school and classroom practices, such as positive behavior support systems, co-teaching, and instructional practices related to student self-determination and direction, feedback and re-teaching, multiple means of representation and expression, and technology utilization. Implications of these findings for implementing inclusive practices in other schools are discussed.

Building social connectedness in schools: Australian teachers’ perspectives

This paper presents the findings of Phase 1 of a larger study examining social connectedness in schools.A semi-structured interview was conducted with 14 teachers to ascertain perceptions of social connectedness across three high schools in a city in Queensland, Australia. The interview examined how teachers perceived four broad strategy levels for building social connectedness: (i) at a school level; (ii) linking to the broader community; (iii) at a classroom level; and (iv) helping individuals to connect.All schools employed school-wide practices to involve the community in the education process, recognizing the importance of cultural and background knowledge, civic participation, and school–community interactions. The three areas identified to improve connectedness within the school communities were to recognize and embrace the important role of technology for community building, to allow time within the curriculum for teachers to work on the social and emotional well-being of their students, and to reinforce efforts to develop a shared language for staff around pedagogical practices.Teachers gave strong support to the need for ongoing professional learning, peer collaboration, and administrative support, and sufficient quality time to achieve these outcomes.