Blog

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 ...

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 ...

Did you know? The recent influx of federal COVID-19 relief funds provides an opportunity to fund early childhood educational mental health supports and services! State agency leaders and early childhood educators can use infant and early childhood mental health consultation (IECMHC) to meet children’s social and emotional needs during and ...

As schools begin a post-pandemic transition, educators should consider how to strengthen the social, emotional, and behavioral supports for students. Three foundational components are important to keep at the forefront of efforts to support students, regardless of the learning environment ...

We celebrated National School Social Worker week from March 7 - March 13, 2021 as part of Social Work Month. This school year provided unique challenges for school social workers (SSWs) as well as opportunities for innovation ...

Due to COVID-19, educators have been tasked with finding new ways to continue teaching their students virtually with little time to prepare. In particular, since the start of the school closures, federal requirements for (IEP) compliance have changed ...

If preschool is designed to set a foundation of learning for children, expose them to structure, and build social, emotional and behaviors skills, then what is happening to produce these alarming rates? ...

This school year has presented many uncertainties for teachers as they continue to navigate virtual, hybrid, and in-person learning environments. Using clear and positive communication can build trusting and supportive teacher-student relationships, especially with students who experience behavioral challenges. But what exactly does effective educator-student communication look like, particularly in ...

Spring 2020 school closures left teachers and district officials scrambling to restructure their classrooms with as few disruptions as possible. High school teachers faced the difficult task of trying to preserve their students’ motivation to finish strong and stay on track to graduate, despite the looming anxiety and uncertainty that ...

Teaching preschool is simultaneously joyous and challenging. Students differ widely in their temperaments and their experience sharing space and resources with peers. Although many children adapt quickly to a group care environment, for others it can be challenging. Some early educators can access related professional development or external specialists that ...

In our work with schools, we often learn about innovative ways that educators and others can support students and their families. Our Student Behavior Research Team’s work with Project SECURE, funded by the National Institute of Justice, brought us to Hillcrest Elementary School, ...

We spoke with two teachers at the beginning of school closures and again at the end of the school year to learn about their adjustment to distance learning ...

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted strategies from the “Common trauma symptoms in students and helpful strategies for educators” handout to help educators address student’s social-emotional and mental health needs associated with trauma in virtual settings ...

Our Student Behavior Blog team at SRI Education is deeply heartbroken and outraged by the racism, brutality, and hatred that plague Black children, families, and individuals, not only with regard to recent events, but with recognition that these are pervasive issues they face in every moment of their lives. Consistent ...

On a typical day, schools provide low- or no-cost lunch to 29.7 million children. As the COVID -19 pandemic stretches on and the unemployment rate continues to skyrocket, many families are finding it increasingly challenging to provide meals for their children.  National food assistance programs, community food banks, and local school districts have ...

Measures taken to address the spread of COVID-19, from precautionary social distancing to shelter-in-place orders, have dramatically impacted children and their families. In addition to navigating their own stress during a period of uncertainty and change, parents are faced with addressing the questions and concerns of their children, many of ...

Jennifer Donahue is a program administrator at the San Francisco Unified School District’s Student, Family and Community Support Department and has been a close partner of SRI’s Behavior Research team for many years. We recently interviewed Jennifer on what her experience has been and being involved in a researcher-practitioner partnership ...

Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) typically include school-wide or universal support (tier 1), targeted interventions for at-risk students (tier 2), and individualized services for students with intensive needs (tier 3). Read our post for more information about multi-tiered frameworks. MTSS have been increasingly adopted across schools in the U.S. and ...

Acts of violence at school place pressure on educators and school leaders to better ensure the safety of their students. A comprehensive approach addresses school climate, student mental health programs, strategies to prevent violence, and physical security mechanisms. Our research has identified several promising practices to help keep students emotionally ...

Given the ongoing debate about the value of screen time, many parents and educators are seeking research-supported best practices for using TV and videos to help support children’s learning and development. Look no further – we’ve summarized the research to give you 3 strategies for using videos to support SEL ...

Mental health is a critical part of students’ overall health and well-being. Students today face a range of demands that can impact their mental health. From meeting high academic expectations to navigating the world of social media to maintaining relationships with their peers, students often have busy schedules that result ...

We expect teachers to handle a lot: create engaging learning experiences, differentiate instruction based on student needs, manage behavior, motivate students to learn, and tackle persistent gaps and inequities. More and more, teachers are meeting this challenge by embracing social-emotional learning (SEL), which can support academic learning, teach and reinforce ...

Standalone social-emotional learning (SEL) programs are helpful tools for teachers who want to build students’ social-emotional skills in the classroom setting. However, it can be challenging to select an appropriate, practical, and effective classroom-wide curriculum that will work for all students. We have simplified the process to help teachers and ...

Although most teachers recognize the importance of teaching social-emotional skills, many are also concerned about having time to fulfill their other responsibilities. Here we highlight one approach to teaching social-emotional skills in the classroom: incorporating social-emotional learning (SEL) into everyday academic instruction ...

In state-funded preschools, children are expelled at 3 times the rate of K-12 students, and private preschool programs expel children at more than 13 times the rate of K-12 students. Our researchers have developed an interactive guide with recommended policies and practices to support early education program leaders in reducing ...