Examining the Social Validity of the Double Check Online Program: Helping to Scale-up Professional Development for Culturally Responsive Practices.

This paper presents social validity findings from a mixed-methods study of educators who used a recently adapted online version of the research-based Double Check culturally-response practices and student engagement program. Results from 41 participants indicated that the program was easy to use, prompted them to reflect on their own culture, and that they would continue using the website. Although most users reported they would recommend the program, participants indicated they would like a wider variety of examples and more guidance for novice teachers. Additional conclusions and recommendations for improving Double Check and other online teacher professional development programs are discussed.

An Empty Scoping Review of Emergency Department to School Transition for Youth with Mental Health Concerns.

The number of youth Emergency Department (ED) visits due to mental health concerns has been steadily increasing with a large number of youth being referred from school. Despite the increase in ED visits, there has not been an increase in the number of students who are actually admitted to the hospital. Further, youth referred from school are more likely to be discharged from the ED. Given the unique relationship between school and ED referrals and the large number of youth who do not require hospitalization, this study sought to understand how schools are supporting students who return to school after an ED visit. We conducted a scoping review to identify programs and practices to support ED to school transition. Two reviewers screened 907 manuscripts, but none of the manuscripts met the inclusion criteria. We discuss the importance of supporting students returning to school from the ED and draw from the literature on hospital to school transition to make recommendations for educators.

The discipline gap in context: The role of school racial and ethnic diversity and within school positionality on out-of-school suspensions.

Disparities in exclusionary discipline practices are well-documented; however, variation in Black students' disciplinary experiences across different racial and ethnic school compositions remains understudied. Utilizing a state-wide dataset (N = 769,050 students in J = 1296 schools), we examined student- and school-level factors that contribute to suspensions for Black students across schools with varying racial and ethnic diversity. Consistent with prior research, we found that Black students were disproportionately suspended more often, for more days, and more likely for soft offenses. We also found that students in majority Black schools (i.e., those where >50% of the students were Black) had the highest unadjusted rates of suspension. However, when controlling for multiple other student- and school-level characteristics, including overall suspension rates, we found that Black students attending majority White schools had a higher adjusted risk of suspension than in majority Black or heterogenous diverse schools, suggesting higher rates of differential treatment in White majority schools. We discuss the implications of these results and the role school psychologists play in supporting professional development, training, and data-based decision making to reduce disproportionality.