There is a longstanding stereotype that segregated high schools serving a large majority of minority students are unsafe. But it is unclear if this stereotype has any merit. I use a QuantCrit theoretical framework along with data from the nationally representative Education Longitudinal Study and multilevel logistic regression models to explore…

Using a 3-Round Delphi Technique, the current study aimed to ascertain consensus regarding parents' thoughts about the school, home, and community protective factors (i.e., preventive behavior interventions, behavior resources) needed to prevent adolescents from referral to behavior school and subsequent involvement in the juvenile system. A…

Despite research on peer dynamics in mainstream classrooms and in mental health interventions, investigations of peer dynamics in self-contained classrooms for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are limited. This study examined the influence of classroom behavior norms on individual behavior in a school for students with…

Racial inequality in exclusionary discipline is a salient educational equity issue. The implications of educators' discretion in administering discipline and the complexity of repeated office discipline referrals (ODRs) and suspensions are reflected in school discipline policy debates nationwide. This brief uses New York City to learn more about…

During the school closures associated with COVID-19, researchers found student engagement decreased, partially due to the concurrent increase in the number of adolescents diagnosed with problematic internet use and internet addiction. At the time of this study, there was limited research related to student engagement after students returned to…

Adolescents and young adults are most at risk for developing problematic smartphone and social media use that negatively impacts their mental health and well-being. Students' perceptions of their school environment are likely a key area of potential risk and protective factors for adolescents' problematic smartphone and social media use, but more…

Restorative Practices is a social science that studies how to create, strengthen, and repair relationships. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine the impact restorative practices have on the rate of out-of-school suspensions and office discipline referrals, as well as the perceptions educators, have regarding the…

The problem addressed in this study is that chronic absenteeism of special education students impacts school performance, graduation rates, and future employment opportunities. The purpose of the phenomenological study was to document the lived experiences of parents of high school special education students as chronic absenteeism of their special…

It's well-known that motivation is essential for learning and how well students do in school. Research also suggests that a student's motivation is likely connected to their behavior in the classroom. This study was particularly interested in understanding how different types of student motivation (e.g., wanting to learn vs. wanting to look good)…

Youths' affinity for snack foods is well-documented; in various contexts, they sell chips, candy, and other goods. Adults may frame such sales as either entrepreneurial or deviant, which can contribute to positive youth development (on one hand) or cycles of disengagement and criminalization (on the other). Drawing on ethnographic and interview…

Students with emotional and behavioral problems have poor academic and behavioral outcomes, both short- and long-term. Psychotropic medications are commonly used as an intervention with this population and their use has increased significantly. This study investigated adolescent and family variables associated with medication use among high school…

Freshman year has been identified as a very important year in high school. It has been shown more than any other year to determine whether a student will complete high school or drop out. Schools who examine grade-level data on a regular basis often find that freshmen students receive the most office discipline referrals and most failing grades,…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted opportunities for adolescents to progress through a typical developmental trajectory of adjustment and self-regulation. Adolescents across many contexts have shown an increase in adjustment difficulties during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels. Utilizing data collected from 830 Italian adolescents from…

The researchers used a qualitative design with a descriptive phenomenological approach to examine the experiences of 10 principals in creating and sustaining a positive school climate during COVID-19. The researchers conducted interviews over Zoom from October to December in 2021. The principals have worked in two American states, one Midwestern…

The problem investigated is that high discipline referrals in schools serving at-risk high school students often lead to student attrition and lack of academic success. A qualitative methodology with a narrative research design was employed/utilized to investigate the impact of high discipline referring in schools in Alabama, including the…