Welcome to SRI Education’s new Student Behavior Blog, where we aim to share news and information about our team’s research, evaluation, and technical assistance work in partnership with schools and communities around the country. Our goal is to help educators, administrators, school social workers, counselors, parents/caregivers, students, and other researchers learn about evidence-based practices that ultimately support all students’ positive behavior, mental health and well-being. In this first blog entry, we want to take the opportunity to introduce our research team and the way we do business—and to describe why we love our work so much.
What we wanted to be when we “grew up”
Carl Sumi and Michelle Woodbridge co-lead the Student Behavior Research program at SRI Education, and they bring their own motivation and passion to the job.
W. Carl Sumi, Ph.D., has been with SRI Education since 2003. He is a Senior Principal Researcher and co-Director of SRI Education’s Student Behavior Research program.
“As a former special education teacher and parent, I wanted to do more for kids who had the odds stacked against them.”
“Growing up in New York City and being a special education teacher opened my eyes to the challenges of educating students and the entrenched inequities in the system. For me, it’s all about helping kids and families—and also about helping teachers, counselors, and principals be more successful at their jobs so that, ultimately, kids and families benefit. I root for the underdog—for the kids who have the odds stacked against them. I want to be their advocate. In my days with students in a self-contained special education classroom, I realized my teaching could only impact about 8 to 10 kids per year. I gradually took on more jobs and roles (such as behavior specialist, graduate student, and researcher) where I could affect more kids and more classrooms on a larger scale. Now I have the potential to impact thousands of kids by working with school districts and educators across the country, and I love being on the same team with these folks—with the same mission and goals.”
Watch these short videos to hear Carl talking about his work:
Michelle Woodbridge, Ph.D., has been with SRI Education since 2004. She is the Executive Director of SRI Education’s Center for Learning and Development and co-Director of the Student Behavior Research program.
“I wanted a chance to learn from my heroes.”
“I always wanted to be a teacher or counselor when I grew up, because those folks were my heroes. But I don’t feel like I have what it takes to be a good teacher, and during the short time I was a career counselor, I literally sweated through every session. Fortunately, my job at SRI provides me with the opportunity to learn from my heroes—to observe and study how good teachers and principals put effective practices into place; to participate in trainings with school social workers on evidence-based programs—and then hear what they think about the feasibility and potential impact of these interventions; and to conduct research and share results that promote the work of these amazing, generous, inspiring professionals. Ultimately, our collaboration helps the kids and families that we care about so much. I can’t think of a better or more inspiring position.”
Watch these short videos to hear Michelle talking about her work:
Our outstanding team of researchers, analysts, and data collectors
Our team of researchers, evaluators, and technical assistance providers brings a wealth of expertise, with a common emphasis on the social and emotional well-being of children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Please browse through the biographies of our team members to learn about the capabilities and interests they bring to their work every day.
| Carl Sumi Interests/Expertise: – Student mental health – Research and evaluation – PBIS/MTSS |
 Michelle Woodbridge Interests/Expertise: – Student mental health – Research and Evaluation – Technical assistance |
 Kirby ChowInterests/Expertise: – Research and Evaluation – Poverty/homelessness – Social-emotional development |
 Maddie Cincebeaux Interests/Expertise: – Student and teacher mental health – Social-emotional development – Early childhood education |
 Betsy Davies-MercierInterests/Expertise: – Early Childhood Education – Early Intervention – School Readiness |
 Kerry FriedmanInterests/Expertise: – Technical assistance – School climate/culture |
 Elisa GarciaInterests/Expertise: – Early Childhood Education – Dual Language Learners – Social-emotional Development |
 Sara GracelyInterests/Expertise: – Early Childhood Education – Social-emotional skills – Trauma |
 Lauren Jackson Interests/Expertise: – Dual Language Learners – Trauma/stress – Education policy |
 Jenn Nakamura Interests/Expertise: – Supporting students with Disabilities – MTSS/RTI – Social-emotional skills |
 Yunsoo ParkInterests/Expertise: – Student mental health – Parenting – Trauma/Stress |
 Samantha PeytonInterests/Expertise: – Early Childhood Education – Social-emotional Development – Education Policy |
 Kristen RouspilInterests/Expertise: – Early Childhood – School climate/culture – Trauma/stress |
 Patrick ThorntonInterests/Expertise: – SAS programming – Data preparation – Analysis of quasi-experimental and experimental study designs |
 Xin WeiInterests/Expertise: – Statistical modeling – Experimental designs – Education policy and interventions to improve student outcomes |
 Jennifer YuInterests/Expertise: – Autism Spectrum Disorder – STEM self-efficacy and motivation – Technology-based supports for students with disabilities |
Our extraordinary collection of research and evaluation projects
Our team has deep experience conducting evaluations of school-based behavior interventions in preK–12 through post-secondary school environments. Through this collaborative work, we share personal and professional relationships with educators and other professionals who serve students in many school districts across the country. We have been awarded contracts from local communities, foundations, state agencies, and federal government agencies including the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Office of Innovation and Improvement, and Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the U.S. Department of Education, and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in the U.S. Department of Justice. Below is a list of some of our sample projects.
- Efficacy Study of Discipline in the Secondary Classroom (IES funded)
- Efficacy Study of Foundations, School-wide Positive Discipline for Middle Schools (IES funded)
- Effectiveness Study of Tools for Getting Along: Teaching Students to Problem Solve (IES funded)
- Students Exposed to Trauma: A Study of the CBITS Program
- Efficacy Study of Check & Connect to Improve Student Outcomes
- Project SECURE: Keeping Kids Safe in San Francisco Unified School District (NIJ funded)
- Evaluation of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District’s Comprehensive School Safety Initiative (NIJ funded)
- National Effectiveness Study of First Step to Success
- Statewide Evaluation of the California Mental Health Services Authority’s Prevention and Early Intervention Initiatives
- National Behavior Research Coordination Center
- Evaluation of Unconditional Education (Seneca Family of Agencies) funded by i3 Department of Education grant
- Evaluation of the Metro Nashville Public Schools Scaling Up Pyramid Model Implementation in Preschool and Kindergarten Classrooms funded by Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grant, Department of Education
Please engage with us!
Over the next months and years, we will be sharing lessons learned from our years of work, resources for supporting effective behavior management and social-emotional learning for students, and interviews with educators and experts. We hope that you will follow along, share helpful Student Behavior Blog posts with your networks, and contact us to contribute to the discussion. We’re available at studentbehaviorblog@sri.com.
Topics: Research design