Michelle Woodbridge

Michelle Woodbridge Bio:

Michelle W. Woodbridge, Ph.D., has more than two decades of experience in research on and evaluation of children’s mental health services, educational practices, health and social services, and other community-based services. Woodbridge directs large-scale national, statewide, and local research, evaluation, and technical assistance projects in preschool through secondary school learning environments.

BEST in CLASS: What Coaches and Teachers Say About It. Part 2: Teacher Perspectives

Authors : Daniel Cohen , Michelle Woodbridge

Practice-based coaching (PBC) promotes a strong collaborative partnership between teachers and coaches to facilitate the use of effective instructional practices. The PBC process includes skills instruction on BEST in CLASS practices, shared goals and action planning, implementation support, classroom observation, and reflection and feedback.

BEST in CLASS: What Coaches and Teachers Say About It. Part 1: Coach Perspectives

Authors : Daniel Cohen , Michelle Woodbridge , Christen Park

BEST in CLASS (Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Training: Competent Learners Achieving School Success) is a tier 2 (targeted) evidence-based intervention for young children with persistent and intensive challenging behaviors.

Top 5 Myths About SEL and Exclusionary Discipline

Authors : Adrienne Woods , Daniel Cohen , Michelle Woodbridge

CASEL defines social-emotional learning (SEL) as “…the process through which young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that help us to understand ourselves, connect with others, achieve our goals and support our communities”.

Social-Emotional Learning Program Study: Tools for Getting Along

Authors : Jennifer Nakamura , Carl Sumi , Michelle Woodbridge

After a turbulent 2020-2021 school year, it is more important than ever that educators have feasible and effective options to support students’ foundational social-emotional skills. Prior studies have found that students who participate in social-emotional learning (SEL) programs improve their behavioral and academic functioning and reduce their challenging behaviors.1 When selecting an SEL program, educators … Continue reading Social-Emotional Learning Program Study: Tools for Getting Along

How a researcher learns from practice

Authors : Michelle Woodbridge

We know that research informs practice in education, but how does practice inform research? Dr. Michelle Woodbridge, one of our lead researchers, recently attended a webinar on supporting students impacted by racial stress and trauma. In our latest blog post, she shares her response to that learning experience (spoiler alert – it was intense!) and her commitment to practice being a better researcher.

A Study of “Discipline in the Secondary Classroom:” A Positive Approach to Behavior Management

Authors : Carl Sumi , Michelle Woodbridge

Efficacy study of Discipline in the Secondary Classroom, a positive and proactive approach to classroom management developed by Safe & Civil Schools conducted in 50 high schools in 2 states. Lead Investigators: W. Carl Sumi, Michelle Woodbridge Funder: U.S. Department of Education Dates: 2018-2023

When helping students hurts: Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS)

Authors : Michelle Woodbridge , Jennifer Nakamura

We were presenting to a group of teachers about our project examining the effects of a group-based intervention for middle schoolers experiencing traumatic stress. I was describing the effects of trauma on students’ academic performance when a teacher stood up and loudly exclaimed, “But what about OUR trauma? Who is helping US?”

Why work with us? Because we know what works!

Authors : Carl Sumi , Michelle Woodbridge

Our team works with state and local education agencies to select, implement, and evaluate programs that meet their high priority education needs. Whether you’re a school leader or teacher, an intervention developer, or a funder looking to invest in effective behavior management and socioemotional interventions, you’ll find a variety of benefits of partnering with us.

Meet our Student Behavior Research Team

Authors : Michelle Woodbridge , Carl Sumi

In this first blog entry, we introduce our research team and describe why we love our work so much. 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.