The purpose of this study was to examine bidirectional relationships between student-teacher conflict and externalizing behavior in elementary school. A national sample of 9,663 kindergarten - third grade students (49% female; 51% White, non-Hispanic, 10% African American, 25% Hispanic, 9% Asian students) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Cohort of 2010-2011 were included. Using random intercept cross-lagged panel models, results indicated different patterns across sex. For boys, conflict demonstrated positive relationship with later externalizing behavior; whereas, for girls, there was not evidence of any cross-lagged effects. The article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Children who engage more in classroom instruction tend to also have higher levels of academic achievement relative to their peers who engage less. Although research has clearly established an association between such learning behaviors and academic achievement, the directionality of this relationship, and the possibility of bidirectional relations, remain unclear. It is possible that this lack of clarity stems from the fact that interrelationships between achievement and learning behaviors may differ across student -teacher relationship contexts. We evaluated this possibility using a large nationally representative sample of kindergarten to third grade students ( N = 2010) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study -Kindergarten Cohort of 2011. Using latent profile moderation analyses, we identified three profiles of student -teacher relationships across kindergarten through third grade students: (a) Close (68%), (b) Conflictual (16%), and (c) Uninvolved (16%). Our follow-up models identified bidirectional relations that differed across these profiles, indicating more robust bidirectional learning behavior -achievement interrelationships in the Close profile and more unidirectional achievement to learning behavior relations in the Conflictual and Uninvolved profiles. These findings illustrate how differences in environmental contexts impact the relationship between students ' learning behaviors and their achievement. Future studies should consider contextual influences when investigating children 's academic growth processes and developing interventions.

The global COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted educational environments for all students when the majority of schools in the United States abruptly switched to remote learning. School climate, including support and structure, has been recognized as an important construct that influences student functioning. The current study explored student perceptions of school climate before school disruptions as a potential protective factor against negative outcomes during the pandemic. Middle school students (N = 225) completed assessments of their perceptions of school climate in Fall 2019 and self-reported internalizing symptoms in Spring 2020. Structural equation modeling was used to test both the association and directionality between school climate and internalizing symptoms. Positive perception of school climate before the pandemic was significantly associated with less internalizing symptoms during initial school closures, particularly for girls. The results highlight the importance of school climate in students' mental health, especially during periods of stress. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Although more is known about how general parenting practices predict social-emotional strengths in children, less research has looked at parent involvement in education and children's social-emotional strengths. This study examined the extent to which parent involvement, specifically home-based involvement, parent-teacher trust, and home-school communication, predicted children's social-emotional strengths in kindergarten. The study featured both parent (n = 120) and teacher ratings (n = 156) of children's social-emotional strengths. We examined the association between parent involvement and social emotional strengths while controlling for child age and gender, socioeconomic status, and general parenting (positive verbal discipline and harsh/inconsistent discipline). Parents' reports of home-based involvement were a moderate to strong positive predictor of their child's social-emotional strengths over the kindergarten year. For teacher ratings of social-emotional strengths, parents' trust of the teacher was associated with higher social-emotional strengths. The findings may inform essential components in parenting or school-based interventions for social-emotional development, as well as differences in what parents and teachers perceive as related to social-emotional development in young children.Impact StatementParents play an important role in children's social-emotional development. The current study demonstrate parents perceive home-based involvement activities are associated with child social-emotional strengths, while teachers perceive a trusting relationship between home and school as most important. Results highlight ways to support schools and families working together to support social-emotional strengths.

Objectives Increased mental health difficulties have been reported in Canadian children as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and emerging research suggests that children with high levels of symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity have been disproportionately impacted. Accordingly, the pandemic has impacted families as well. The purpose of this study was the following: (1) to examine whether children's symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity at the beginning of the 2020 and 2021 academic year were associated with mindful parenting at the end of the academic year and (2) to examine whether children's depressive and anxiety symptoms at the end of the year moderated this relationship. Methods Parents of 114 young children in a large Canadian city participated in this study in the Winter of 2020 and the Spring of 2021. Parents completed several self-report scales used to measure children's mental health symptomatology and mindfulness in parenting. Results Children's symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity were significantly, negatively associated with mindful parenting across the pandemic year, and children's depressive symptoms moderated this relationship. Specifically, when children's depressive symptoms were low or average it was found that higher symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity were associated with lower levels of mindful parenting. However, when children's depressive symptoms were high their symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity were not predictive of mindful parenting. Conclusions Children's mental health, namely symptoms of inattention/hyperactivity and depression, are related to challenges in mindful parenting during COVID-19. These results may inform practitioners about which families require additional support during the pandemic.

Objectives: Reports of mental health difficulties in Canadian children increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and new research suggests that children who exhibit marked symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity were disproportionately affected. As a result, the pandemic also had a deleterious effect on families. This study aimed to: 1) examine whether children's symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year were associated with mindful parenting (or mindfulness parenting) at the end of the school year; and 2) examine whether children's symptoms of depression and anxiety at the end of the year tempered this association. Methods: Parents of 114 young children in a large Canadian city participated in this study during the winter of 2020 and spring of 2021. Parents completed several rating scales to measure children's mental health symptomatology and attention to parenting practices. Results: Inattention and hyperactivity symptoms in children were significantly negatively associated with attentive parenting during the school year, and depressive symptoms in children tempered this relationship. In particular, when children's depressive symptoms were mild or moderate, higher levels of inattention and hyperactivity were associated with lower levels of attentive parenting. On the other hand, when depressive symptoms were severe in children, inattention and hyperactivity symptoms were not predictive of attentive parenting. Conclusions: Children's mental health, namely symptoms of inattention/hyperactivity and depression, is related to difficulties in attentive parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results may indicate to physicians which families need more support during the pandemic.

Abstract Measures implemented globally to minimize spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in significant changes for families. Since children’s developmental processes occur within an environmental context, examining how parenting practices and child behavior may have changed during COVID-19 is important to supporting children and families. The purpose of the current study was to examine levels of parenting behaviors for parents of kindergarten children prior to and following the onset of the global pandemic. In a sample of parents (n = 100; 89% female) we examined how child symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depressive, and oppositional symptoms), and mindful parenting related to changes in parenting behaviors. The results demonstrated that changes in parents’ levels of setting limits and supporting good behavior with their children from fall to spring depended on levels of children’s oppositional symptoms, children’s anxiety symptoms, and mindful parenting. Implications of these findings are discussed. Impact Statement The international coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is causing unprecedented changes in the lives of many children and families. The current study contributes to the literature by examining moderators of changes in parenting practices for parents of kindergarten children prior to and following the onset of the global pandemic. Results highlight ways to support children and families and directions for future research.

Students at risk of suicide can be identified effectively through school-based prevention programs such as Signs of Suicide (SOS), which incorporate both psychoeducation and screening components. Prior research has focused on high school students; however, there is limited research in middle schools, and even less is known of school staff’s responsiveness to these programs. The current study evaluated the implementation of SOS with students at two U.S. middle schools (N = 2,537; 49% female) and through a treatment evaluation survey completed by school implementation staff (N = 26; 89% female). Nearly 20% of students emerged as at risk for suicide; risk was significantly higher among females, sixth graders, students with lower socioeconomic status, and students eligible for special education or accommodation plans. Most staff rated SOS as an acceptable program, and qualitative feedback regarding strengths and barriers is described. These findings advance practical knowledge for effectively implementing school-based suicide prevention programs and may guide school psychologists in advocating for and implementing such interventions.Impact StatementSuicide is the second leading cause of death among youth in the U.S., and prevention programs delivered in school settings have been effective at identifying and supporting these students. Nearly 20% of students participating in a suicide prevention program emerged as at risk for suicide, with several groups of students at significantly higher risk. Staff implementing this program generally reported positive perceptions of its acceptability, while also identifying several barriers and suggestions for improving future implementations.

Limited research has examined the associations between child ADHD symptoms and parent involvement and has generally relied on the use of parents' retrospective reports of parent involvement and ADHD symptoms. Using daily reports, the current study explored the pathways between child ADHD symptoms and home-based parental involvement beliefs and behaviors. Data were collected daily from 26 parent participants over a 2-week period for a total of 315 time points. Daily surveys asked parents to report on child ADHD symptoms, parental self-efficacy, parental time/energy, and home-based involvement quality. Results indicated that parental self-efficacy mediated the association between children's inattentive symptoms and parental home-based involvement quality. Children's hyperactive/impulsive symptoms moderated the association between parental time/energy and parental home-based involvement quality. These results suggest that parental self-efficacy is an important factor in explaining how children's inattention is associated with parental quality of home-based involvement. In addition, the association between parental time/energy and home-based involvement quality was lower when parents perceived their child to have higher levels of symptoms.

Résumé Objectifs Les rapports de difficultés de santé mentale chez les enfants canadiens se sont multipliés durant la pandémie de COVID-19, et les nouvelles recherches laissent croire que les enfants qui manifestent des symptômes marqués d’inattention et d’hyperactivité ont été disproportionnellement touchés. En conséquence, la pandémie a aussi eu un effet délétère sur les familles. Cette étude visait à : 1) examiner si les symptômes d’inattention et d’hyperactivité chez les enfants au début de l’année scolaire 2020-2021 étaient associés à la parentalité attentive (ou parentalité en pleine conscience) à la fin de l’année scolaire; et 2) examiner si les symptômes de dépression et d’anxiété chez les enfants à la fin de l’année ont tempéré cette association. Méthodes Les parents de 114 jeunes enfants d’une grande ville canadienne ont participé à cette étude durant l’hiver 2020 et le printemps 2021. Les parents ont répondu à plusieurs échelles d’évaluation dans le but de mesurer la symptomatologie de la santé mentale des enfants et l’attention dans les pratiques de parentalité. Résultats Les symptômes d’inattention et d’hyperactivité chez les enfants étaient significativement associés négativement à la parentalité attentive durant l’année scolaire, et les symptômes de dépression chez les enfants ont tempéré ce lien. En particulier, lorsque les symptômes de dépression étaient légers ou moyens chez les enfants, on a observé que des symptômes plus marqués d’inattention et d’hyperactivité étaient liés à un faible niveau de parentalité attentive. Par ailleurs, lorsque les symptômes dépressifs étaient marqués chez les enfants, les symptômes d’inattention et d’hyperactivité n’avaient aucune valeur prédictive sur la parentalité attentive. Conclusions La santé mentale des enfants, à savoir les symptômes d’inattention/hyperactivité et de dépression, est liée aux difficultés de parentalité attentive durant la pandémie de COVID-19. Ces résultats pourraient indiquer aux médecins quelles familles nécessitent plus de soutien durant la pandémie.

Nearly 4 million adolescents in the United States experience clinical depression, and this alarming rate has increased in recent years. Adolescents' perceptions of their school's climate may moderate the association between victimization and depressive symptoms, including suicidality; however, it is unclear whether perceived school climate would act as a buffer or intensifier of the association between victimization and depressive symptoms. The present study examined how different types of victimization (traditional, cyber, and homophobic) are associated with depressive symptoms in middle schoolers (N = 1,151), and whether these associations are buffered or exacerbated by how adolescents perceive school climate. Multiple moderated regression analyses revealed traditional and cyber victimization were significantly positively associated with depressive symptoms, whereas homophobic victimization was not directly associated with depressive symptoms. Further, perceived school climate moderated these associations, exacerbating the link between cyber victimization and depressive symptoms, and buffering the link between homophobic victimization and depression. Results support the importance of middle schoolers' perceptions of school climate in understanding the associations between victimization experiences and depressive symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

This study examined parent-teacher agreement regarding three forms of family engagement in kindergarten: home-school communication, school-based involvement, and parent-teacher trust, as well as whether parent-teacher agreement predicted children's behavioral and academic outcomes. Parent and teacher ratings of parent engagement and child internalizing and externalizing behavior were obtained for a sample of kindergarten students (N = 122). Academic outcomes were directly assessed. Parents and teachers showed high levels of agreement in their perceptions of home-school communication, school-based involvement, and parent-teacher trust. Parents' educational background moderated the level of agreement for school-based involvement between parents and teachers. Parents and teachers reported higher levels of involvement for parents with higher educational levels; however, the differences in involvement levels were greater between parents from higher and lower educational backgrounds when using teacher ratings versus parent ratings. Positive associations between parents' and teachers' ratings of all engagement types were small to moderate. Higher levels of parent-teacher trust predicted lower levels of parent and teacher-reported externalizing behavior. Discrepancies in parents' and teachers' ratings of school-based involvement predicted lower internalizing symptoms for children. Findings replicated research suggesting positive associations between parental engagement and children's behavioral/academic functioning, while also expanding the limited understanding of how parent-teacher agreement regarding family engagement predict outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting stay-at-home orders created a need for assessing elementary, middle, and high school students' experienced stressors associated with the coronavirus situation. In collaboration with a school district wanting information about their students' well-being during the pandemic school shut-down, the current study investigated students' reported types and levels of COVID-19 stressors. Data were collected from 2,738 students from fourth through 12th grade in a suburban Midwestern school district in the United States following school closure related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic were gathered from students via an online survey using Qualtrics. The students rated 20 items (e.g., not motivated to do schoolwork, not going to my school) on stress level. Stressor categories found included Social Isolation, Schoolwork Stress, Fear of COVID-19 Illness, and Missing Events. Middle and high school students reported higher schoolwork stress than did elementary students, and overall, females had higher reported stress on several stressors. The current study has implications for school psychologists including utilizing a tool to assess pandemic-related stressors, using prepandemic normative data in schools with caution, promoting education about COVID-19 to reduce fear, supporting teachers regarding addressing schoolwork stress experienced by students, and teaching students anxiety-reducing strategies such as mindfulness or coping strategies.

The current study examined (a) the associations of COVID-19 stress with anxiety and depression and whether those associations differed by gender or grade level, and (b) how different coping strategies mitigated the associations of COVID-19 stress with anxiety and depression. During remote learning due to COVID-19, data were collected from 2,738 students in fourth through twelfth grade in a suburban midwestern U.S. school district on stress associated with COVID-19, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and coping strategies. Secondary students and females reported more symptoms of anxiety and depression and more use of coping strategies. Schoolwork Stress was associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms for all students, with additional associations found between various stressors and symptoms developmentally. Finally, more Self-Distraction coping was associated with higher symptoms of anxiety and depression. Positive Reframing and depressive symptoms were negatively associated. The coping strategy of Self-Distraction exhibited a small, significant buffering effect on the association between Schoolwork Stress and depressive symptoms. Students used less Self-Distraction at higher levels of social isolation stress and higher anxiety or depression and more self-distraction when anxiety and social isolation stress was lower. Implications for the reopening of schools and future quarantine and remote learning settings are discussed.

The purpose of the current study was to advance the understanding of the cross-grade dynamics of academic enablers in three ways: (a) to compare overall levels of academic enablers across children's elementary school years, (b) to determine if the relationship between academic enablers and academic achievement remained consistent across children's elementary school years, and (c) to determine if the interrelationships between academic enablers remained consistent across elementary school. We examined cross-grade dynamics using a sample of elementary-aged children (N = 536) and structural equation modeling methodology to compare primary (K-3rd grade) and intermediate (4th-5th grade) students. After establishing measurement invariance, we tested whether (a) academic enabler means and variances were equivalent for younger and older elementary students, (b) the relationships between academic enablers and academic achievement were equivalent for younger and older elementary students, and (c) the interrelations between academic enablers were equivalent for younger versus older students. The findings revealed few differences in mean levels of academic enablers but several differences in the relationships between academic enablers and academic achievement, as well as academic enabler interrelations across grade groups. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.

Students often hear their peers use biased language regarding race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability status in the school setting. Prior research has indicated that biased language is related to school climate, and specifically to school-based relationships between peers and between students and their teachers. This study investigated the longitudinal associations among studentstudent relationships, teacher-student relationships, and being the target of or hearing biased language in middle school students. Students (N = 501; 46.5% White, 21.8% Hispanic, 13% African American, and 15% Multi-Racial; 48.7% female) reported on how much they were targeted or heard biased language related to race/religion, sexual orientation, and disability status. Students also reported on their relationships with their peers and teachers. Using a cross-lagged panel model with the overall sample, a negative unidirectional association from being the target of or hearing biased language and student-student relationships and teacher-student relationships was identified. Separate models for boys and girls identified unique patterns. For boys, biasedlanguage exposure predicted more negative student-student relationships and teacher-student relationships, whereas for girls, biased-language exposure was not associated with school-based relationships. Implications include addressing language use and building positive studentstudent and teacher-student relationships.