Bullying victimization is a well-established risk factor for adverse mental health outcomes, including suicidal ideation, yet less is known about the mechanisms linking these experiences for students with disabilities. Using data from the Georgia Student Health Survey (N = 356,292 high school students across 496 schools), this study examined differences in bullying victimization, mental health difficulties, and suicidal ideation by Individualized Education Program (IEP) status and tested direct, mediated, and moderated pathways among these constructs. Students with IEPs reported higher levels of bullying victimization, mental health difficulties, and suicidal ideation compared to peers without IEPs, although effect sizes were small. Bullying victimization was directly associated with suicidal ideation, and this association did not differ by IEP status. Structural equation modeling indicated that mental health difficulties mediated the relationship between bullying victimization and suicidal ideation, with a partially mediated model providing the best fit. Multi-group analyses further revealed that bullying victimization exerted a stronger effect on mental health difficulties among students with IEPs, which in turn elevated their risk for suicidal ideation. These findings highlight the importance of examining mechanisms of suicide-related risk and underscore the need for school-based prevention and intervention efforts that simultaneously address bullying experiences and mental health, particularly for students with disabilities.

Current research suggests effective educator professional learning requires extensive follow-up and coaching beyond initial training. This intensive support, however, is not feasible for many schools, particularly in rural areas. Rural schools also struggle with access to professional learning resources. As such, rural educators may have fewer opportunities to learn and implement effective classroom management strategies, which are critical for students’ and teachers’ success. CW-FIT is one evidence-based intervention composed of several key classroom management strategies taught through effective coaching practices. In this study, we adapted the CW-FIT coaching model for rural schools using asynchronous learning and feedback opportunities. Using a quasi-experimental pilot study of 13 classrooms in seven states, we found the rural coaching model was associated with improvements in target student academic engagement and behaviors and teachers’ classroom management behaviors. Teacher usability data, along with implications for future research and practice, are also discussed.

Students are more successful when their teachers employ evidence-based behavior management strategies, including group contingencies. One group contingency, CW-FIT, uses a variety of effective behavior management strategies, including teaching expected behaviors, increasing teacher praise while reducing attention to contextually inappropriate behaviors, and reinforcing students for meeting expectations. CW-FIT has been researched extensively across settings and populations using a variety of research designs. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of the CW-FIT literature base. Of the 223 records retained for title and abstract review, 31 met all inclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted in elementary schools (64.5%) and in general education settings (64.5%), and the majority of included studies were single-case design (74.2%). The meta-analysis indicated a strong effect of CW-FIT across all student and teacher behaviors when design-comparable effect sizes were combined (g=1.59). The absolute value of effect sizes across outcome domains (i.e., student on-task and disruptive behaviors, teacher praise and reprimands) and units (i.e., classwide, target students, teachers) ranged from g=0.71-2.24. Study quality ratings also suggested CW-FIT meets standards to be an evidence-based practice. Implications for research and practice are also discussed.

Emerging evidence suggests the effectiveness of school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS), a widely implemented multi-tiered support framework for behavior, increases as the full framework is implemented with fidelity. While Tier 1 supports are fairly consistent across schools, less is known about the Tier 2 and Tier 3 practices schools implement. In this study, we examined reported advanced tiers practices from California schools implementing SWPBIS with high levels of fidelity and explored the relation between these practices and discipline. Using data from 421 schools during the 2021-2022 school year, we found Check In/Check Out and small group interventions to be the most common Tier 2 practices, and individual counseling and behavior intervention plans/functional behavior assessments to be the most common Tier 3 practices. No relation was found between specific Tier 2 or Tier 3 practice categories and differences in suspensions or expulsions. Implications and future directions are also discussed.

Recommendations, resources, and policy for schools to implement a continuum or multitiered system of prevention and intervention supports (MTSS) for academic, behavioral, and mental health functioning continue to increase. Accurate and meaningful data, including universal screening, are a central component of MTSS and must perform consistently across racially and ethnically diverse student groups. The present study examined scores from the Behavior Intervention Monitoring Assessment System-Second Edition, a universal mental health screening tool used widely in large, racially diverse school districts, as a function of student race to identify any differential functioning in the assessment. Participants included 1,168 students (68% Black and 32% White) rated by their 4th- or 5th-grade teacher across nine elementary schools in a partnering school district in the Southeastern United States. Results from an item response theory approach using differential item functioning revealed several items with differential item functioning by student race on subscales included in the measure's Behavioral Concerns Scale and Adaptive Scale. In addition, differential item functioning items were found to impact students' risk status in these domains, specifically the Negative Affect and Social subscales, as well as all items on Academic Functioning performing differently between groups. These findings are problematic for using the Behavior Intervention Monitoring Assessment System-Second Edition as a universal mental health screening assessment in the MTSS of a racially diverse school or district. Future research should explore other facets of the Behavior Intervention Monitoring Assessment System-Second Edition and similar screening instruments that may be driving differential ratings including improvements to the instrument and efforts to mitigate misidentification. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Parental stress is a well-documented phenomenon. The relationships between parental stress, parent–child dynamics, and child outcomes are complex and bidirectional. Although this intricate interaction is well recognized, we specifically examined the impact of child-related variables on parental stress. Although many child factors can contribute to parent stress, the literature is mixed regarding the role of such variables. We examined the role of adolescent and school demographics, school performance, and mental health ratings as predictors of three parent stress domains (adolescent, parent, adolescent–parent relationship). Participants were 625 parents of adolescents with emotional and behavioral problems. Results from multilevel modeling indicated externalizing and internalizing adolescent behaviors predicted parent stress across all three domains. In addition, higher student adaptive behavior was associated with reduced parent stress. Although inconsistent across domains, other predictors included race, student report of depression and anxiety, and socioeconomic status.

Research has demonstrated the positive effects of systematically teaching phonemic awareness and phonics in kindergarten and first grade, but many commonly used reading curricula do not adequately incorporate these foundational skills. In this study, we examined the efficacy of an instructional program (UFLI Foundations) in foundational reading skills (i.e., phonemic awareness and phonics) with students in kindergarten and first grade. We compared students who received a full year of the instructional program to propensity score matched control students, who received business-as-usual instruction, with a cross-cohort quasi-experimental design. Multilevel modeling results demonstrated that adding instruction in foundational skills increased early literacy skills scores by more than 1.0 standard deviation. Further, we found that students of teachers who taught with greater adherence to the UFLI Foundations program had larger effects. Implications and future directions are discussed.

ABSTRACT Performance feedback has been shown to improve teachers' classroom management skills. Typically, a researcher provides the performance feedback, not school‐based personnel. Therefore, we investigated the effects of performance feedback on classroom management skills when the feedback is delivered by school‐based personnel. We used a concurrent multiple baseline design across participants to examine the effects of visual performance feedback provided by a school behavior resource teacher on four teachers' use of behavior specific praise. One White behavior support teacher, two White teachers, and two Black teachers, all with more than 5 years of teaching experience participated in the study. We used visual analysis and Tau‐U single‐case design effect sizes to evaluate the multiple baseline design. Results indicate a functional relation between visual performance feedback provided by a school behavior resource teacher and teachers' increased use of behavior specific praise The results suggest that school‐based personnel can be trained in data collection, brief coaching sessions, and implementation of visual performance feedback to support teachers in increasing their use of behavior‐specific praise. This study provides evidence that school‐based personnel can help teachers increase their use of BSP during instruction.

Over the past few decades, advances in computing power and the widespread adoption of the Internet have completely transformed the ways that people obtain information, communicate, educate, and conduct business. Unfortunately, access to technology and to the training required to use technology are not equitably distributed in the United States, with access much lower in rural areas than urban areas. Further, the urban–rural divide disproportionately affects people in groups that have been historically marginalized in computing, particularly students with disabilities. To address this gap in access and opportunity, we are using Design-Based Research and co-design methods to develop a new technology-based intervention called Furthering Rural Adoption of Computers and Technology through Artistic Lessons (FRACTAL) that incorporates computer science and artificial intelligence into art classes in rural middle schools. In this paper, we describe our co-design process, articulate how and why Design-Based Research and co-design are useful for developing technology-based interventions in schools, and discuss our initial steps to develop FRACTAL in partnership with teachers in rural schools to address the needs of historically disenfranchised and marginalized students.

Student engagement during reading instruction, including during small group and individualized intensive reading instruction, is critical for student success. If students are not engaged with instruction, they are not learning. This study examined student reading engagement during individualized intensive literacy tutoring in a summer reading program using a direct observational protocol called the Student Reading Engagement Observational Coding System (SREOCS). Twenty in-person individualized tutoring videos, representing eight students nested within eight tutors, were randomly selected. The videos were coded and analyzed using a series of repeated measures within-subject ANOVA. The results suggest that students exhibit high levels of reading engagement during intensive tutoring. However, statistically significant differences were found in student initiation and responding to initial requests across four different tutoring activities. Specifically, student initiation increased, while responding to initial requests decreased significantly during the spelling activity. Increases in student initiation were also found during the auditory drill and blending drill compared to the visual drill. The implications for future research, professional development opportunities, and practitioners' instructional practices to improve student reading engagement are discussed.

BackgroundSchool-based mental health services, particularly when integrated into multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), offer an evidence-based strategy for primary and secondary prevention and targeted intervention for students' mental health challenges. Team-based decision-making is at the center of successful MTSS, but the mental health literacy of school staff on these teams is unknown.PurposeThe current study aims to describe the state of MTSS team members' mental health literacy and evaluate how mental health literacy components are related to one another.MethodsWe measured the mental health literacy of MTSS team members (N = 58; 59% White; 92% female) from nine elementary schools, including their understanding of students' mental health in the school context and their willingness to promote it.ResultsMTSS team members reported more positive than negative mental health literacy, and mental health literacy constructs were predictably and positively interrelated.DiscussionOverall, the group appeared to favor approaches aligned with school-based mental health and social, emotional, and behavioral MTSS. Future research should replicate study results with a larger sample in order to increase the precision of the estimates and confirm the pattern of findings.Translation to Health Education PracticeMTSS team members typically demonstrate an understanding of students' underlying mental health needs in the context of school and a personal and organizational willingness to address those needs. Staff training and system-level changes would likely further improve mental health literacy, with anticipated positive impacts on school-based mental health and MTSS outcomes.

School-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) is a tiered framework that supports the academic, social, and behavioral needs of students. In this study, we conducted a conceptual replication of Grasley-Boy et al. (2022a) and used a series of two-level linear multilevel analyses to examine the impact of SWPBIS fidelity on 10 exclusionary discipline outcomes for students with disabilities (SWD). Specifically, we compared schools that implemented multiple SWPBIS tiers with fidelity to schools that only implemented Tier 1 with fidelity from a sample of 558 schools in 113 districts in California. Findings indicate a statistically significant decrease in multiple out-of-school suspension categories as well as referrals to law enforcement for SWD in schools that implemented all tiers with fidelity. We provide recommendations for using findings to inform school efforts to reduce exclusionary discipline for SWD.

Background Preventing anxiety and depression among college students is a pressing public health need. Recent meta-analyses have examined mobile mindfulness interventions in adult populations; however, college students are in a unique developmental stage and institutional setting. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished studies in English language on the acceptability, usage, and efficacy of mindfulness training apps on mental health among non-clinical samples of college students. Out of 167 reviewed studies, 47 were included in the narrative review. Additionally, we summarized effects from 19 stress, 12 anxiety, 13 depression, and 8 emotional well-being trials (total N = 2974) using robust variance estimation meta-regression and evaluated certainty of evidence with the GRADE approach. Results Apps were acceptable, with usage levels varying. They reduced stress by 0.435 standard deviation units, 95 % CI (−0.615,-0.255), and increased emotional well-being by 0.431 (0.162,0.7) approaching medium effect sizes. The apps had small effects on depression (B = −0.219 (−0.374, −0.065)) and anxiety (B = −0.218 (−0.42, −0.016)). Certainty of evidence was moderate for stress, depression, and well-being; and low-to-moderate for anxiety. Distressed participants had larger improvements in all outcomes except depression. Limitations Small sample sizes in the original studies and small numbers of studies limit the precision of our effect estimates. The small number of studies with objective usage data impedes our ability to characterize the optimal dose. Conclusions With moderate certainty of evidence, mindfulness training apps may improve student mental health with similar or larger effect sizes than in the general adult population. However, sustained usage may be a challenge, and more research is needed on the optimal implementation strategy, dose, and equity.

Empathy is a key component of socioemotional skills and contributes to prosocial responses and relational closeness. There remain challenges to accurately assess children's empathy, particularly given the reliance on external observer reports, and the lack of frameworks for how empathy may manifest differently at various developmental stages. In this study, we systematically reviewed research on the measurement of empathy in children ages 3–12. We identified 193 independent research publications reporting the use of empathy measures with children. From those, we identified 136 different empathy assessments across studies, with 66% involving rating scales and 48% involving self‐report data. We conducted a reliability generalization analysis and meta‐regression to examine the psychometric properties of empathy measures for children. We then discuss implications and recommendations for future research.

This comprehensive meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness of digital interventions in improving developmental skills for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We conducted a systematic literature search based on three databases. A pre-test adjusted between-group standardized effect size was computed for effect size synthesis. We utilized a robust variance estimation model to analyze overall treatment effect. Moderator analyses and publication bias were also addressed. Twenty-eight studies (150 effect sizes) using randomized control trials (RCT; n = 22) or quasi-experimental designs (QED; n = 6) were included. Most studies (n = 22) included social-emotional skills as primary outcomes. The meta-analysis revealed a medium to large overall effect size, with Hedges’ g = 0.62, 95

Four reputed leaders for the coming years in the field of special education for individuals with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) each with a slightly different perspective on the field were asked to respond independently to a prompt asking what does special education mean for students with EBD and what is being done and how do we maintain tradition? The contributors' responses to the prompt are presented and then summarized across the essays. A remarkable consistency emerges across the independent essays. In addition to the tradition of providing a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment, the contributors identify needs to support teachers serving this population. Needs in teacher training and the expertise required to meet the needs of individuals with EBD are outlined as well as potential contributions of technology to carry out specific tasks. We conclude with a call for increased advocacy for use of the knowledge that we currently possess and that which will soon be discovered to support students with EBD as well as their teachers. We also note that the contributors' names are listed alphabetically to acknowledge the equality of each person to the final product.

The negative outcomes of exclusionary discipline practices on children and youth are well established. Fortunately, for the past two decades, research has demonstrated that pro-active instructional approaches and building supportive class and school environments can effectively promote student social, emotional, and behavioral well-being, especially when evidence-based practices are placed within a problem-solving multitiered system of supports such as school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS). Recent work examining state-wide behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) initiatives, which include professional development and technical assistance to school leadership teams, has clearly documented that educators can reduce problem behavior and thereby reduce the need or use for exclusionary discipline practices. This study extends that body of knowledge by examining Missouri’s SWPBIS initiative over time and across grade levels. Using an extant data base, schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity were compared with nonimplementing schools over 11 school years. Results indicated that schools implementing SWPBIS with fidelity had statistically significant lower rates of exclusionary discipline practices at the primary, middle, and high school level. Results are discussed within the context of past state-wide SWPBIS initiatives.

Resurgence can be defined as increases in previously reinforced and subsequently extinguished target responding when conditions for an alternative response worsen. Worsening of alternative conditions, such as extinction, has been linked to relapse of clinically relevant behavior. Preclinical researchers have evaluated whether punishing target responses while differentially reinforcing an alternative response could reduce resurgence when conditions are worsened with extinction, with mixed results. In the present investigation, we systematically replicated this line of research with human participants recruited via crowdsourcing, using response cost as punishment. During Phase 1, we reinforced target responses with 100 points per delivery, exchangeable for money. During Phase 2, we reinforced alternative responses, discontinued point reinforcement for target responses, and parametrically manipulated across groups the magnitude of point loss (1, 100, 320, or 1,000 points) contingent on target responses. During Phase 3, we tested for resurgence by extinguishing target and alternative responses. Added punishment systematically decreased target responding during Phase 2 but did not influence resurgence during Phase 3. With a meta-analysis, we compared our findings with existing research examining a range of punishers and species. The results of the meta-analysis comport with the present findings, suggesting that the inclusion of punishment reduces target responding during DRA but, overall, has no systematic effects on resurgence.