Research extensively highlights the importance of social-emotional skills in learning and development. In this study, we evaluated whether social and emotional variables directly impact students' perceived cognitive competence and academic performance through a structural equation model. Survey responses (N = 29,384) were collected from 114 K-12…

This original research examined the intersection of school leadership and teacher to parent communication. The analysis used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to determine how principal actions and school level factors were related to teacher actions and the focus of communication. Secondary educators in four district school boards were surveyed…

This project explored how iPads were being used in a range of K-12 schools to support the learning of students with a range of learning support needs. Groups of teachers (and other professionals) from the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK were invited to complete an online survey focused on the use of iPads in their classrooms, perspectives of…

After the completion of a difficult round of negotiations, Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) and the Prairie Spirit Teachers' Association (PSTA) convened a committee to investigate causes of teacher workload intensification. The committee perceived an increase in the amount and complexity of teachers' and administrators' workload but required…

The participants in this study were teachers and students of a large school district located on the east coast of Canada. We distributed surveys to 1,514 teachers across 84 schools and received 1,423 usable surveys for a return rate of 94%. At the time of the second data collection, three years later, 1574 teachers from 78 schools agreed to…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to inquire about the characteristics of effective school leadership networks and the contribution of such networks to the development of individual leaders' professional capacities. Design/methodology/approach: The study used path-analytic techniques with survey data provided by 450 school and district leaders…

Schools are an excellent setting through which to promote mental health and well-being, and teachers are well positioned to provide related instruction and support in the classroom. However, teachers often report that they lack the knowledge, skills and confidence to deliver social emotional learning instruction and to support students who…

The purpose of this study was to explore environmental education (EE) practices within elementary and secondary schools. Using complementary mixed-methods (survey and focus groups), we detail these practices in schools ("n"?=?58) within one school district. Our findings are categorized according to classroom teaching conditions affecting…

In this paper we compare the use of research and other evidence in the decision-making practices of two groups of education policy elites, situated in different contexts--provincial education ministries and school districts. Data are derived from two pan-Canadian studies: Galway (2006) and Sheppard, Galway, Brown and Wiens (2013). The findings…

This study examined a recently established induction program for new superintendents in the Canadian province of Alberta over a three-year period. In keeping with principles of design-based research data were collected from a variety of sources from the 26 new superintendents and their 25 mentors to assess and adjust programming through three…

Although there is much research on School-Wide Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in the United States, there is little such research in Canada. The purpose of the current study was to provide a case study example of the relation between implementing PBIS and student academic and behavioural outcomes, as well as student…

This mixed-methods study inquired about characteristics of districts which influence changes in student achievement and how those characteristics are developed. Staff in 49 Ontario districts were surveyed to estimate the status of nine district characteristics on changes in provincial tests of math and language achievement over five years. A…

This paper, part of a larger study, investigates the ways research is used by leaders in Canadian schools and districts, an area in which there is relatively little empirical evidence. The paper analyzes survey results from 188 education leaders in 11 school districts across Canada about school and district practices related to the use of…

This report provides an overview of findings from the research on primary class size reduction as a strategy to improve student learning. Its purpose is to provide a comprehensive and balanced picture of a very popular educational reform strategy that has often been seen as a "quick fix" for improving students' opportunities to learn in…

The Mental Health Commission of Canada supported a comprehensive research project to determine the current state of mental health and substance use programs and practices in Canadian schools. The School-Based Mental Health and Substance Abuse Consortium is made up of a group of 40 leading Canadian researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. The…