Supporting teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A community-partnered rapid needs assessment.

Using a community-partnered research framework, the goal of this study was to rapidly assess coronavirus disease (COVID-19) impact on teachers, students, and families and guidance received to navigate distance learning. Participants were teachers (N = 430) working in elementary schools (n = 301), middle schools (n = 56), high schools (n = 60), and other schools (n = 13) in two large urban school districts heavily impacted by COVID-19. Results indicated teacher concerns regarding student instructional loss and exposure to direct and indirect COVID-related trauma. There were mean differences in teacher concern by school level (p = .001, η² = .033) with elementary teachers reporting the greatest concerns regarding instructional loss. Over 40% of teachers reported that more than 20% of their students had a family member infected with COVID-19 or employed as a frontline healthcare worker. Approximately 99% of teachers reported a significant gap in student access to the internet and distance learning devices. Teachers reported receiving more school than district guidance regarding distance learning, student engagement, and using social emotional learning (SEL) programs. Results informed professional development priorities for educators and immediate supports needed for students and families. Study limitations and future directions for research and practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The magnitude and precision of estimates of change in formative teacher assessment.

Despite growing interest in formative assessment of teacher practices, research on rates of change in teachers' practices is sparse. This is the first study to examine the characteristics of observed change in classroom practices using the Classroom Strategies Assessment System (CSAS) across alternative schedules of data collection during instructional coaching. Our primary objectives included examining (a) the magnitude, variability, and precision of estimates of average rates of change in teacher practices and (b) the impact of data collection duration (i.e., number of weeks of data collection) and density (i.e., the number of classroom observations per week) on the precision of estimates of rates of change over time. A sample of teachers (N = 63) participating in instructional coaching was observed 14 times during coaching using the CSAS. Findings revealed a significant gradual improvement in strategy use, with significant between-teacher variation in rates of change. The frequency of observations was associated with the precision of estimates for average rates of change across teachers and for individual teachers, providing initial guidance on minimum number of observations required to monitor change in practice over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Schooling and Children's Mental Health: Realigning Resources to Reduce Disparities and Advance Public Health.

Schools have long been the primary setting for children's mental health services but have neither the resources nor the expertise to manage these services independently. The critical importance of school success for children's adjustment provides a strong rationale for schooling as an essential component of children's mental health services. In this article, we review evidence for how schooling and mental health coalesce, suggesting an alignment of school and community mental health resources that prioritizes successful schooling as a key mental health outcome. We describe collaborative principles and ecological practices that advance a public health focus on children's mental health while also reducing the burden on schools to maintain mental health services. We close with a model of mental health services illustrating these principles and practices in high-poverty urban schools and propose future directions for research and practice to promote positive mental health for all children and youth.

Integrative Consensus: A Systematic Approach to Integrating Comprehensive Assessment Data for Young Children With Behavior Problems.

Comprehensive assessments that include parents and teachers are essential when assessing young children vulnerable to emotional and behavioral problems given the multiple systems and contexts that influence and support optimal development (U. Bronfenbrenner & P. A. Morris, 2006; M. J. Guralnick, 2011). However, more data complicate clinical and educational decision making given the challenge of integrating comprehensive data. We report on initial efforts to develop and apply Integrative Consensus procedures designed to synthesize comprehensive assessment data using developmentally informed guidelines. Mother-teacher dyads (N = 295) reported on disruptive behavior in a sample of 295 low-income 3- to 5-year-olds; one-third referred for disruptive behaviors, one-third nonreferred with behavioral concerns, and one-third nonreferred. Two clinicians trained in Integrative Consensus procedures independently applied the framework, with findings highlighting that children identified as disruptive by Integrative Consensus ratings plus mother or teacher ratings significantly predicted behavior problems and impaired social skills. Children identified as disruptive via Integrative Consensus were 4 times more likely to be rated as impaired by their mother at follow-up than by mother or teacher report. Reliability estimates were high (κ = 0.84), suggesting that the method has promise for identifying young children with behavior problems while systematically integrating comprehensive data.