Reading problems may emerge beyond the primary grades when the linguistic and cognitive demands of reading comprehension increase in middle school. The accurate identification of students requiring supplemental reading instruction is critical to provide remediation and decrease the prevalence and likelihood of reading problems in secondary settings and beyond. Nevertheless, research guidance on middle school reading screening is scarce. This study analyzed data from 193 sixth-grade students across 12 classrooms to examine (a) how well various reading screeners predicted proficiency on the year-end state assessment, (b) what combinations of reading screeners were most accurate, (c) the extent to which a brief teacher rating improved classification accuracy, and (d) the agreement rates between the most accurate combinations of screeners. Screeners included the Sight Word Efficiency, oral reading fluency (ORF), maze, and a multiple-choice reading comprehension (MCRC) assessment. Results from logistic regressions and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses suggested that no single screener was appropriate for use and that combinations of two or three screeners assessing different reading skills improved classification accuracy (i.e., ORF + MCRC, ORF + maze + MCRC). Moreover, teacher ratings further improved classification accuracy but its predictive value depended on the combination of screeners. Finally, there was a high agreement regarding which students were identified as needing intervention between these combinations of screeners. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The goal of the current work was to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic school shutdowns may have impacted classroom incivility in children and adolescents. Study 1 compared prepandemic (Fall 2019) to postpandemic school shutdown (Fall 2022) rates of classroom incivility in a sample of 308 adolescents (49.7% boys; 61.0% White) between the ages of 9 and 14 ( = 12.06; = 1.38). Classroom incivility was significantly higher postpandemic shutdowns, while bullying, emotional problems, and friendships remained stable. In Study 2, we surveyed 101 primary educators (95% females; 88.1% White). Findings suggested that young students lacked social skills and knowledge of classroom expectations, contributing to increased classroom incivility. Our results highlight the need to monitor ongoing levels of classroom incivility. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Taking a reading comprehension (RC) test is a goal-oriented task, with the goal of answering questions correctly. We assume the number of questions students correctly answer represents their ability to engage successfully in the RC processes necessary to understand texts. Students, however, use various test-taking strategies, some of which negatively impact passage comprehension. The present study used eye-tracking procedures to measure what students do when reading the one part of the tests that all students must read to perform well on an RC test, the questions. Participants included 248 third-, fifth-, and eighth-grade students who read six texts and responded to associated questions while researchers recorded their eye movements. Eye-movement records were used to code students' test-taking strategy and measure the time students spent reading multiple-choice questions and each response option. Students were also administered a measure of reading achievement. Analyses suggest eye movements on multiple-choice questions were associated with reading achievement, and the challenges less-skilled readers experience with texts are also present when reading in the question region. Differences in strategies and processes do not only occur in the text region. Therefore, researchers and practitioners should pay increased attention to the strategies that are taught and used by students when reading and responding to RC questions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Resilience, broadly defined as effective adaptation to stress, adversity, or change, is an important capacity to foster in adolescence. To date, there has been little review of the literature on universal school-based resilience programs for teens. The current scoping review had three aims. The first aim was to report on the scope of literature on universal school-based resilience programs for adolescents. The second aim was to code and summarize the features and outcomes of these programs (stand-alone programs and whole-school programs). The third was to identify key themes emanating from nonempirical articles (i.e., theoretical articles, review articles, published guidelines, and reports) about what makes an effective school-based resilience program for adolescents. A total of 34 articles met the criteria for the review (47% empirical and 53% nonempirical). The collated data present a summary of who (e.g., sample demographics), how (e.g., research designs, the duration and number of posttest evaluations), and what has been studied (e.g., the types of programs and the types of outcomes). Randomized control trial evaluations (53%) and quasi-experimental designs (47%) were the common designs. The studies displayed large variation when it came to program delivery aspects such as number of lessons, length of the lessons, duration of the program, type of teaching, and program facilitators. Six themes were identified for creating effective universal school-based resilience programs: dual focus (ill-being and well-being), ethos and embedding, nurturing environment, adopting a systems approach, building teacher resilience, and fostering real-time resilience through implicit and explicit teaching. Suggestions for future research are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Exclusionary discipline is a racialized mechanism through which schools systematically remove racially and ethnically minoritized youth from the learning environment. Although the development of Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and linked behavior support plans have been identified as an alternative practice, school psychologists often do not ask questions about the cultural and contextual factors that may influence students' behavior during FBA interviews. Therefore, training is warranted. Unfortunately, staff often have limited time and resources to devote to professional development; therefore, it is critical to ensure that training procedures that require more time offer better outcomes than those that require fewer resources. The present study compared the effectiveness of high intensity training (e.g., behavioral skills training) versus a low intensity training procedure (e.g., self-training) procedures on school psychologists' ability to facilitate simulated FBA interviews grounded in cultural humility with caregivers before and after exposure to one of two training conditions. Findings from regression analyses indicated that self-training adequately prepared school psychologists to adhere to the questions on the protocol, however, behavioral skills training improved the quality of interview delivery. Implications for future research and training are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

School psychology graduate students experience many risk factors for problems with mental health, including high workloads, financial distress, and challenging relationships with faculty that can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and depression. Although there have been studies that have investigated depression and anxiety amongst graduate students in general (Eisenberg et al., 2007) and health service psychology students in particular (Hobaica et al., 2021), there are reasons to believe that school psychology graduate students may have different experiences. To date, no research has been found investigating the depression and anxiety symptoms of graduate students in school psychology programs. A survey was sent to 194 school psychology training programs, and 291 graduate students completed it. Approximately one in four graduate students reported moderate to severe levels of depressive symptoms, while one in three reported moderate to severe levels of anxiety symptoms. These symptoms were significantly higher in graduate students identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and more identities, women, or reported being from a lower socioeconomic background. There were no differences in depression or anxiety symptoms between the type of program (i.e., doctoral or specialist) or years in program. Implications for trainers of school psychology are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Teachers experience high levels of stress and burnout; however, it is less clear whether teachers also experience high levels of depression and anxiety. The purpose of this systematic review was to describe the literature examining depression and anxiety among K-12 teachers in the United States, with a focus on (a) identifying factors that may be associated with and (b) describing interventions aimed at improving depression and/or anxiety among teachers. A literature search was conducted in January 2022 using APA PsycInfo, ERIC, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PubMed. Studies were eligible if they (a) measured U.S. K-12 teachers as an outcome; (b) measured teacher depression or anxiety; (c) were available in English; and (d) were published between 2000 and 2021. Two coders extracted key study information and assessed the risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for observational studies and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force checklist for clinical trials. This review included 19 studies (10 cross-sectional, four longitudinal, and five interventions). Studies indicated that teachers may experience greater levels of depression and anxiety than the general population. High perceived stress, poor coping skills, more student problem behaviors, and poor school climate were associated with greater depression and anxiety among teachers. Interventions achieved small to large reductions in depression and anxiety. This review suggests that several factors are related to depression and anxiety among teachers and is limited by the few studies that met the inclusion criteria. Interventions that use multilevel approaches to improve teacher mental health may be needed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The goal of the present study was to examine the associations between different dimensions of self-perceptions and academic achievement in Chinese children. Participants were 604 children in Grades 4-7 attending primary and middle schools in mainland China (342 boys, 262 girls; = 11.25 years). Measures of children's self-perceptions and academic achievement were collected via self-reports and school records at two time points over one academic year. Results from cross-lagged panel analysis indicated that after controlling for the effects of gender, grade, and stabilities, Time 1 perceived scholastic competence positively predicted Time 2 academic achievement (β = .08, < .05), and Time 1 academic achievement predicted Time 2 perceived scholastic competence (β = .10, < .05). Time 1 perceived athletic competence negatively predicted Time 2 academic achievement (β = -.08, < .01). The findings provide evidence that self-perceptions have different facets and are differently associated with academic achievement and emphasize the reciprocal predictive relations between perceived scholastic competence and academic achievement and the negative impact of perceived athletic competence self-perception on academic achievement. The implications of these results are discussed in the context of self-development and academic performance within Chinese culture, as well as their educational implications for school practices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

With the recognition of positive psychology within China, there is a pressing need for evidence-based positive psychology interventions (PPIs) tailored to the cultural context of Chinese schools. The goals of the present study were to (a) culturally adapt the Well-Being Promotion Program using the ecological validity model and (b) conduct a preliminary evaluation of its effectiveness. Within a randomized controlled trial, we collected data from 107 eighth-grade students randomly assigned to the intervention ( = 55) or control group ( = 52). A mixed methods approach was used, with analysis of covariance to assess program effectiveness, and content analyses of students' short-answer responses collected from the intervention group. Qualitatively, more than half of students reported having positive feelings and an increase in happiness due to the program. Quantitatively, the study found that the intervention was associated with a significant increase in adaptability, a subcategory of psychological , following the intervention. Gender breakdown revealed that the intervention had a significant positive effect on boys' cognitive quality, but not girls'. Additionally, it marginally impacted girls' self-management and boys' adaptability quality. However, caution is warranted in interpreting the quantitative results due to limitations, such as a small sample size and a relatively low response rate at Time 2. This pilot study contributes to the literature by bridging the gap between evidence-based PPIs developed in Western contexts and their culturally responsive implementation in Chinese schools. Consequently, the results should be considered as initial evidence warranting further examination of effectiveness, yet with significant potential to advance future cultural adaptations of PPIs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Studies evaluating school readiness profiles and quality of early education are scarce and have produced inconsistent results. This study aimed to identify school readiness profiles, correlating them with the quality of education, in an epidemiological sample of 722 children (4 and 5 years old; 48.9% female). A four-class latent class analysis model best describes school readiness profiles. Fifty-eight percent of children were considered ready for school. The remaining children presented isolated or combined risks for academic underachievement and social maladjustment. High-quality preschools seem to be a protective factor only for at risk for poor academic achievement ( = 1.22). The prioritization of high-quality preschools could mitigate risk factors at the family and socioeconomic levels, increasing the chances for academic success. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

There is a continuous push from researchers, accrediting bodies, and national education and behavioral health centers to address the safety, well-being, and success of our diverse student population in U.S. schools. However, several states are introducing or passing bills that ban or restrict culturally responsive practices in schools. The opposing views overshadow the importance of cultural responsiveness for children and the benefits of cultural responsiveness from the caregivers' perspective based on their lived experiences. Therefore, this study utilized phenomenological inquiry to gain caregivers' experiences of culturally responsive (and unresponsive) practices in their child(ren)'s preschool or elementary school. Interviews were conducted with 13 culturally diverse parents and caregivers from varying racial, ethnic, linguistic, religious, and financial backgrounds. An analysis of the interviews revealed six themes: (1) , (2) , (3) (4) , (5) and (6) . This study reflects an essential step toward examining and incorporating the perspectives of parents and caregivers into our practice, research, and policy efforts for enhancing cultural responsiveness in schools. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

School psychology is informed by norms and beliefs that perpetuate harmful treatment, discrimination, and unchecked microaggressions across research, training, and practice. Hetero- and cisnormativity (HetCisNorms) empower a worldview that is harmful for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer/questioning (LGBTIQ+) individuals. This review presents what these norms are, how they function in school psychology, and calls on school psychologists to act. The adapting strategies to promote implementation reach and equity framework are applied with an intersectional analysis to examples across researchers, training, and practice to model for school psychologists how to take initial steps to disrupt these damaging practices. Addressing HetCisNorms can facilitate an equitable and just field for all, with particular emphasis in promoting equity among LGBTIQ+ individuals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

It is important for researchers to understand the factors that attract marginalized community members to participate in youth service intervention programs, considering their historic mistrust in White-dominated systems (i.e., education and mental health). We employed a hermeneutic phenomenology study to understand 15 Black caregivers' experiences of a university-church partnership program that was grounded in a school mental health paradigm. Using individual interviews and a structured coding process, we examined factors that informed participants' engagement with the program from start to finish. First, caregivers involvement with the program due to their children's holistic needs, the accessibility of the program, and the trust they had in program leaders (including church representatives) and processes. Second, caregivers involvement in the program due to graduate interventionists/mentors displaying professional competence, cultural responsiveness, and an ethic of care. Finally, caregivers viewed the program as helping the children, family, and community , which influenced their desire to see the program grow and expand. As informed by the present study and related literature, recommendations for school mental health professionals involved in culturally responsive and equity-centered community partnership work are offered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

In recent years, greater focus has been paid to the mental health needs of children from minoritized racial backgrounds. The culturally specific needs of these children, however, are often not considered within standard mental health treatments for youth. Oriented in the ecological validity framework (Bernal et al., 1995) and the radical healing framework (French et al., 2020), this study examines the efficacy, feasibility, and social validity of a modified mental health intervention for Black youth by (a) implementing and evaluating the Resilience Education Program (REP) with a sample of Black youth and caregivers and (b) obtaining feedback on the existing intervention to evaluate its cultural relevance for Black youth and families. REP is a Tier 2 intervention for internalizing behaviors in students in Grades 4-8. A pilot study was implemented to evaluate the REP intervention with one group ( = 5) of Black students, obtaining feedback from caregivers, teachers, and mentors. The program's efficacy, feasibility, and social validity was evaluated following the intervention using paired -test analysis. Then, a series of focus groups were conducted with check-in/check-out mentors, caregivers, and youth participants to obtain feedback on REP. Focus group data were analyzed using thematic analysis and nominal group technique procedures. Themes for improvement and suggestions for future research are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The dual-factor mental health (DFMH) model posits that mental health comprises two distinct yet interrelated dimensions: psychological distress and psychological well-being. This study used responses to a 10-item measure within a self-report risk survey to explore the prevalence rates and criterion validity of a DFMH screening model based on norm-referenced classifications with a nationally representative sample of U.S. children in Grades 5-10 ( = 5,949). Students' responses were classified into one of four possible DFMH statuses: complete mental health, troubled, symptomatic but content, or vulnerable. Results indicated most students were classified as complete mental health (71.2%), followed by symptomatic but content (13.2%), vulnerable (10.6%), and troubled (5.1%), respectively. Criterion validity findings showed students classified in the complete mental health group had the most beneficial concurrent outcomes across several academic, behavioral, and emotional indicators when compared with students in all other DFMH groups. Additionally, students in the symptomatic but content group demonstrated substantively better outcomes than both vulnerable and troubled students, whereas students in the vulnerable group had similar concurrent outcomes compared to those in the troubled group. Overall, results from this study provide further validity evidence supporting the interpretation and use of a DFMH screening model in schools with a nationally representative sample of elementary, middle, and high-school-aged youth. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Single-case design research studies have historically used external observers to collect time series data that may be used to evaluate intervention effectiveness; however, single-case interventions implemented in educational settings may use the person implementing the intervention (e.g., teacher) to collect data in order to maximize feasibility. The implementer's knowledge of intervention goals and phase has the potential to influence assessment of dependent variables, particularly when ratings involving some degree of judgment (e.g., Direct Behavior Rating-Single Item Scales [DBR-SIS]) are used. Given the potential for rater effects and expectancy to influence data collection, this study sought to determine whether DBR-SIS measuring social skills collected in vivo by interventionists with full knowledge of intervention goals and phase were equivalent to data collected by external raters masked to intervention phase. Results indicated in vivo DBR-SIS differed from those completed by masked external raters, which has the potential to result in different conclusions regarding intervention effectiveness. The potential for negative effects resulting from sole reliance on in vivo ratings conducted by an interventionist may be mitigated by including additional data streams collected by external personnel masked to intervention phase or by using effect sizes that account for baseline trends. Implications for training and practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Few guidelines exist for conducting and reporting visual analysis procedures and results in single-case research. Previous research examining how authors describe their analytic procedures and results has found that authors use key terms such as level, trend, and variability infrequently. Additionally, in a previous review, the authors rarely agreed with the original study authors on their conclusions. The purpose of this study was to document single-case researchers' analytic procedures, including use of key visual analysis terms; description of data features; within- and between-condition analysis; and inclusion of descriptive statistics, effect sizes, or inferential statistics in the literature on a common Tier 3 behavior intervention, functional communication training. We also compared our determinations about functional relations to the authors' conclusions. Our results suggest that most authors describe level, but almost a third did not describe trend or variability. Agreement with study authors was better than in previous studies but still below minimally acceptable thresholds. We discuss areas for future research and implications for reporting the analysis and results of single-case research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Despite growing concerns related to the youth mental health crisis and the well-being of sexual and gender minority youth, specifically, most mental health interventions fail to meet the unique needs of this population. Research and clinical guidance have recommended that approaching mental health treatments through a lens of minority stress and intersectionality can be particularly helpful in addressing the mental health concerns of LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer, intersex, and asexual, with the '+' capturing other identities within the gender and sexually diverse population) youth. Because many adolescents do not have access to mental health care, schools have an important role to play in meeting the mental health needs of LGBTQIA+ youth. To address these issues, we propose LGBTQIA+ affirming adaptations to the dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (STEPS-A) curriculum using Pachankis et al.'s (2023) Adaptation Model to provide practitioners with a culturally affirming model of this social-emotional curriculum, while highlighting the utility of this framework in adapting other evidence-based interventions in schools. We walk readers through each module of DBT STEPS-A and provide rationale for adapting these skills for LGBTQIA+ youth. We offer specific adaptations that facilitators can make through psychoeducation and skills training. For example, we provide sample dialectics that mirror the experience of minority stress and propose examples of coping skills that are relevant for LGBTQIA+ youth (e.g., distracting and self-soothing to tolerate distress). Finally, the role of school psychologists in meeting the mental health needs of LGBTQIA+ youth is discussed along with implications for practice and future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The special issue, "School Personnel Well-Being: Advancing Measurement, Best Practices, and Policy," showcases empirical quantitative and qualitative research that presents a range of social-ecological factors that directly and indirectly associate with school personnel well-being, trauma, and safety in prekindergarten through 12th grade schools. This introduction article represents Section 2 of the special issue reviewing eight articles that focus on the Role of Traumatic Experiences in Educator Well-Being. Collectively, these studies increase awareness of school personnel trauma experiences and make important contributions to the field. We offer lessons learned from the studies and directions for research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Although much of the literature on disproportionality has focused on Black boys, Black girls are suspended at higher rates than girls of any other race due to the misconstrued ideology that Black girls are less innocent and feminine and more adultlike than their White counterparts. Culturally responsive interventions at the student level can support students' social, emotional, and behavioral well-being and improve their skills in navigating inequitable school systems. The purpose of the present study was to develop and implement a culturally enriched social emotional learning curriculum, titled , and evaluate the effects of the curriculum on Black girls' academic engagement during classroom instruction, inappropriate behaviors, office discipline referrals, social skill development, racial identity, and self-esteem. Results were mixed for academic engagement, office disciplinary referrals, and social skills development. Additional results found that racial identity was maintained at high levels, and there was a decrease in self-esteem. Based on these preliminary findings, more research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of Fix Your Crown, Queen intervention on Black adolescent girls. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Disparities in mental health need and service use among racial and ethnic minoritized (REM) youth remain a pervasive public health concern in the United States. Cultural adaptations (CAs) have been put forth as a way to increase the cultural and contextual relevance of evidence-based psychological interventions (EBIs) to improve treatment outcomes among REM youth. Currently, no measure of CAs to EBIs for REM youth in the United States exists in the literature. Using a multistage method, this study sought to develop such a tool, the Cultural Adaptations Content Checklist (CACC). In a previous foundational study conducted via a systematic literature review, authors identified a comprehensive list of existing CAs. In the first two stages, we used a modified Delphi method as a part of which expert practice and research stakeholders ( = 17) provided feedback on CA types, definitions, and groupings via survey methodology. In the third stage, we conducted cognitive interviews with a subset of participants ( = 10) to assess participant comprehension of the CACC. The final CACC was developed and consists of 36 CA types organized into eight groups. Implications for use of the CACC in research and practice are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).