Yoxas/statistical_literacy huggingface dataset:
School readiness skills are a broad set of abilities that children develop in early childhood that support achievement once they enter formal schooling. Three components of school readiness skills are of focus in the current study: executive function (EF), language/literacy, and mathematics. The current study examines to what extent 13 direct assessments of these skills statistically align with theoretical models for distinct construct- and timepoint-specific latent factors. The sample included 684 children (52.34% male; 42% Black/African American; Mage = 4.80 years in the fall of prekindergarten) assessed in the fall and spring of the prekindergarten year. Factor analyses revealed the most statistical support for a model with a latent random intercept across timepoints and constructs, along with timepoint-specific latent factors in the fall and spring of prekindergarten (independent of the random intercept). The timepoint-specific latent factors primarily consisted of early literacy and mathematics assessments. These findings challenge commonly held practices of creating construct-specific latent factors in early childhood research and, to a lesser extent, timepoint-specific latent factors without consideration of the substantial shared variance across different constructs and timepoints. Implications for the factor structure and developmental theory of school readiness skills are considered, as well as practical considerations for future research.
School recess is an evidence-backed approach to increase school-based opportunities for students to play, accrue necessary physical activity, and socialize with peers, to the benefit of their physical, academic, and socioemotional health. As such, the Centers for Disease Control recommend at least 20 min of daily recess in elementary schools. However, unequal provision of recess contributes to persistent health and academic disparities for students, which remain to be addressed. We analyzed data from the 2021-22 school year from a sample of low-income (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education-eligible) elementary schools (n = 153) across California. Just 56 % of schools reported providing more than 20 min of recess daily. Differences in daily recess provision were apparent, with students in larger and lower-income schools receiving less daily recess than students in smaller and higher income schools. These findings support the enactment of legislation mandating health-sufficient daily recess in California elementary schools. They also highlight the importance of, and need for, annually-collected data sources to enable monitoring of recess provision, and potential disparities, over time, in order to assist in identifying additional interventions to address this public health problem.
School-based coaching has emerged as an effective approach for enhancing school personnel's knowledge, implementation skills, and wellbeing, as well as student achievement and behavior. This article introduces the special issue Advancing the Science of Coaching in Education, highlighting four large-scale, rigorous investigations on the effects of coaching and possible contextual variables that influence effective coaching in education. Two studies (Glover et al., 2022; Pianta et al., 2022) assessed how components of coaching (e.g., feedback, practice) may mediate or moderate classroom practices and/or teacher-student interactions that lead to improved student learning. One study (Pas et al., 2022) examined fidelity profiles of motivational interviewing embedded coaching on classroom practices and student behavior in middle school. The final study (Reddy et al., 2022) examined the effects of behavior support coaching on paraprofessional implementation of research-based behavior interventions, wellbeing, and elementary school student social behavior. This article spotlights common elements across studies and offers directions for research and innovation. The special issue closes with a commentary (Erchul, 2022) on the contributions of school consultation research to contemporary coaching research and offers recommendations for bridging research to practice.
School-based gardening and nutrition education interventions report improvements in dietary intake, notably through fruit and vegetables. However, gardening, cooking, and nutrition randomized controlled trials are limited in evaluating dietary quality, and none have examined processed food consumption to date. The study examined the effects of Texas Sprouts (TX Sprouts), a gardening, cooking, and nutrition education intervention, compared with control on unprocessed and ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption in predominately low-income Hispanic children. TX Sprouts was a school-based cluster randomized controlled trial that consisted of 16 elementary schools randomly assigned to either the TX Sprouts intervention (n = 8 schools) or control (delayed intervention; n = 8 schools) over 3 y (2016-2019). TX Sprouts schools received an outdoor teaching garden and 18 1-h lessons taught by trained educators throughout the school year. Dietary intake data via 2 24-h dietary recalls were collected on a random subsample (n = 468) at baseline and postintervention. All foods and beverages were categorized using the NOVA food classification system (e.g., unprocessed, processed, ultra-processed). Generalized linear mixed effects modeling tested changes in percent calories and grams of NOVA groups between the intervention and control estimates with schools as random clusters. Of the sample, 63% participated in the free and reduced-price lunch program, and 57% were Hispanic, followed by non-Hispanic White (21%) and non-Hispanic Black (12%). The intervention, compared to the control, resulted in an increase in consumption of unprocessed foods (2.3% compared with -1.8% g; P < 0.01) and a decrease in UPF (-2.4% compared with 1.4% g; P = 0.04). In addition, Hispanic children in the intervention group had an increase in unprocessed food consumption and a decrease in UPF consumption compared to non-Hispanic children (-3.4% compared with 1.5% g; P < 0.05). Study results suggest that school-based gardening, cooking, and nutrition education interventions can improve dietary intake, specifically increasing unprocessed food consumption and decreasing UPF consumption. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02668744.
School-based universal social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions implemented during the transition to adolescence may be efficacious in preventing the development of mental health difficulties. This protocol describes a two-arm parallel cluster randomised controlled trial to investigate the impact of a universal SEL intervention (Passport, compared to usual provision) on internalising symptoms (primary outcome), emotion regulation, well-being, loneliness, social support, bullying, academic attainment, and health-related quality of life in English primary school pupils aged 9-11 years. A developer-led trial demonstrated the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of Passport; this will be the first independent trial. Sixty primary schools will be recruited across the Greater Manchester city region and surrounding areas, involving 2400 pupils aged 8-9 at baseline. Schools will be allocated to the intervention arm to implement Passport over 18 weekly sessions or to the control arm to implement the usual school curriculum. Random allocation will be at school level following completion of baseline measures, with minimisation to ensure balance across trial arms in school size and free school meal eligibility. Measures will be collected at baseline, post-intervention (12 months post-baseline), and at 12 months follow-up (24 months post-baseline). The primary outcome analysis (intervention effects on internalising symptoms at post-intervention) will comprise a two-level (school, child) hierarchical linear model, following the intention-to-treat principle. Additional analyses will be undertaken to assess intervention effects on secondary outcomes, maintenance effects for all outcomes, intervention compliance moderator effects, subgroup moderator effects, and mechanisms underpinning intervention effects on the primary outcome. A mixed-methods implementation and process evaluation will examine factors that influence implementation, and a health economic evaluation will assess the cost-effectiveness of the intervention. Findings will provide educators with crucial knowledge of whether and how increasing emotion regulation through a universal intervention impacts internalising symptoms and a range of related outcomes. Findings will also inform policy related to the promotion of mental health among children and young people. If the intervention is found to be efficacious in reducing internalising symptoms and is also cost-effective, it may offer high potential as a preventative intervention for widespread implementation. ISRCTN12875599; registered on 24 November 2022.
Schools are a key setting for supporting youth physical activity, given their broad reach and diverse student populations. Organizational readiness is a precursor to the successful implementation of school-based physical activity opportunities. The R = MC2 heuristic (Readiness = Motivation x Innovation-Specific Capacity x General Capacity) describes readiness as a function of an organization's motivation and capacity to implement an innovation and can be applied to better understand the implementation process. The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers to and facilitators of implementing school-based physical activity opportunities in the context of organizational readiness. We analyzed interview data from 15 elementary school staff (principals, assistant principals, physical education teachers, and classroom teachers) from a school district in Texas. We focused on factors related to adopting, implementing, and sustaining a variety of school-based physical activity opportunities. We used the Framework Method to guide the analysis and coded data using deductive (informed by the R = MC2 heuristic) and inductive approaches. Themes were generated using the frequency, depth, and richness of participant responses. Four themes emerged from the data: (1) implementation is aided by the presence of internal and external relationships; (2) physical activity opportunities compete with other school priorities; (3) seeing the benefits of physical activity opportunities motivates school staff toward implementation; and (4) staff buy-in is critical to the implementation process. Themes 1-3 aligned with subcomponents of the R = MC2 heuristic (intra- and inter-organizational relationships, priority, and observability), whereas Theme 4 (staff buy-in) related to multiple subcomponents within the Motivation component but was ultimately viewed as a distinct construct. Our results highlight and explain how key readiness constructs impact the implementation of school-based physical activity opportunities. They also highlight the importance of obtaining staff buy-in when implementing in the school setting. This information is critical to developing readiness-building strategies that help schools improve their capacity to deliver physical activity opportunities effectively. Not applicable.
Schools are an ideal setting for enhancing mental health literacy, a crucial strategy for improving adolescents' mental health knowledge and attitudes and promoting help-seeking. "The Guide Cymru" program is an adaptation of the mental health literacy program" The Guide" that was developed in Canada. The program will be culturally adapted for 13- to 15-year-old Iranian adolescent students in the first secondary schools. In this randomized controlled trial, using the stratified random sampling procedure, the whole eighth and ninth grade student body (aged 13 to 15) from Sirjan City's first secondary schools will be included in the study. Twenty first secondary schools will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: control or intervention. Finally, 562 students and 40 teachers will participate in the research. The tools of mental health literacy scale (MHLs), mental health general knowledge and attitudes related to mental disorders/illnesses are employed in this study. This trial aims to be to explore whether "The Guide Cymru", a mental health literacy program offered to students as part of the school curriculum, can decrease the stigma associated with mental health and promote help-seeking behaviors among students.
Schools have a major role in promoting children's physical and psychological health and well-being and the mental health literacy of all key stakeholders, especially teachers, is critical to achieving this goal. Teachers' knowledge and beliefs about psychological problems influence the way they deal with their students' mental health issues. This study is a preliminary investigation evaluating the effectiveness and feasibility of a School Mental Health Programme (SMHP) developed by the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (WHO-EMRO) in improving mental health literacy and self-efficacy among school teachers in an inner-city area of urban Lahore. Teachers were randomly assigned to 3 days standardized WHO-EMRO School Mental Health Manual based Intervention (n = 118) or to a wait list delayed intervention control group (n = 113). Teachers were assessed pre and post training and at 3 months follow up using measures for mental health literacy (Primary outcome) and self-efficacy. School Heads completed the WHO School Psychosocial Profile and students reported socioemotional skills and psychological problems using Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire at baseline and 3 months post intervention. Compared with waitlist group, teachers in intervention group presented a significant increase in mental health literacy (F2,181 = 8.92; P < 0.001), as well as better teacher's self-efficacy in classroom management and student engagement (F2,181 = 16.45; P ≤ 0.000 and F2,181 = 4.65; P ≤ 0.011, respectively). Increase confidence in helping students with mental health problems was also noted in the intervention arm (F2,181 = 15.96 P ≤ 0.000). Improvement in overall school environment was also found. No statistical difference in the emotional and behavioural difficulties in students was noticed at 3 months. This study is one of the first preliminary investigation of WHO-EMRO school mental health intervention in Pakistan. The study showed that intervention led to significant improvement in mental health literacy and self-efficacy among teachers, which was largely sustained over time. Despite a major limitation of lack of clustering and likely contamination affecting follow up outcomes, the study showed promising results in the context of mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention in schools in Lahore, Pakistan. A larger cluster randomised trial is justified, given the level of participant engagement and acceptability by schools. ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT02937714) Registered 13th October 2016, https://register. gov .
Schools in the United Kingdom and elsewhere are expected to protect and promote pupil mental health. However, many school staff members do not feel confident in identifying and responding to pupil mental health difficulties and report wanting additional training in this area. We aimed to explore the feasibility of Kognito's At-Risk for Elementary School Educators, a brief, interactive web-based training program that uses a simulation-based approach to improve school staff's knowledge and skills in supporting pupil mental health. We conducted a mixed methods, nonrandomized feasibility study of At-Risk for Elementary School Educators in 6 UK primary schools. Our outcomes were (1) school staff's self-efficacy and preparedness to identify and respond to pupil mental health difficulties, (2) school staff's identification of mental health difficulties and increased risk of mental health difficulties, (3) mental health support for identified pupils (including conversations about concerns, documentation of concerns, in-class and in-school support, and referral and access to specialist mental health services), and (4) the acceptability and practicality of the training. We assessed these outcomes using a series of questionnaires completed at baseline (T1), 1 week after the training (T2), and 3 months after the training (T3), as well as semistructured qualitative interviews. Following guidance for feasibility studies, we assessed quantitative outcomes across time points by comparing medians and IQRs and analyzed qualitative data using reflexive thematic analysis. A total of 108 teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) completed T1 questionnaires, 89 (82.4%) completed T2 questionnaires, and 70 (64.8%) completed T3 questionnaires; 54 (50%) completed all 3. Eight school staff members, including teachers, TAs, mental health leads, and senior leaders, participated in the interviews. School staff reported greater confidence and preparedness in identifying and responding to mental health difficulties after completing the training. The proportion of pupils whom they identified as having mental health difficulties or increased risk declined slightly over time (medianT1=10%; medianT2=10%; medianT3=7.4%), but findings suggested a slight increase in accuracy compared with a validated screening measure (the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). In-school mental health support outcomes for identified pupils improved after the training, with increases in formal documentation and communication of concerns as well as provision of in-class and in-school support. Referrals and access to external mental health services remained constant. The qualitative findings indicated that school staff perceived the training as useful, practical, and acceptable. The findings suggest that brief, interactive web-based training programs such as At-Risk for Elementary School Educators are a feasible means to improve the identification of and response to mental health difficulties in UK primary schools. Such training may help address the high prevalence of mental health difficulties in this age group by helping facilitate access to care and support.
Schools play an important role in promoting physical activity for youth. However, school-based physical activity opportunities often compete with other academic priorities, limiting their implementation. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore elementary school teacher and staff perspectives on providing physical activity opportunities and how they impact students and learning. We partnered with a school district in Texas to conduct semi-structured individual interviews. We used a purposeful sampling approach to recruit elementary teachers and staff knowledgeable about the physical activity opportunities provided at their school. Interviews included questions about participant opinions of providing physical activity opportunities and the types of opportunities provided. We analyzed data using a directed content analysis and iterative categorization approach. Fifteen participants (4 teachers, 4 physical education teachers, 3 assistant principals, and 4 principals) completed interviews from 10 elementary schools. Participants discussed observed and perceived benefits when providing physical activity opportunities, which emerged into four themes and subthemes: (1) academic benefits (learning readiness, learning engagement, and academic performance); (2) social-emotional benefits (behavior, interpersonal and social skills, and classroom culture); (3) physical benefits (brain health, skill development, physical health); and (4) instructional benefits (quality teaching time, helpful teaching tools, and teacher-student relationships). Teachers and staff observed numerous benefits when students had opportunities to be physically active, including the positive impact on academic and social-emotional outcomes. Our findings highlight the alignment of physical activity with other school priorities. Physical activity programming can be used in ways to support academics, learning, behavior, and other important outcomes.
Schools play an integral role in adolescents' learning and understanding of their ethnic-racial identity (ERI); however, the extant research offers a limited understanding of how specific educator practices can inform adolescents' ERI development, and in turn, their academic adjustment. Accordingly, the present study utilized 30 interviews with Latinx, White, Asian American, and Multiracial eighth grade students (N = 16; Mage = 13.25 years, SD = 0.45; 75% girls, 25% boys) and their English teacher to illustrate the processes by which an ERI-focused unit informed students' ERI developmental processes and their academic engagement (i.e., behavioral, cognitive, and emotional). Results from iterative causation coding indicated that (a) the unit promoted ERI development by facilitating conversations with family, offering dedicated time for ERI exploration, and facilitating personal and literary ERI exploration in tandem; (b) the unit's focus on ERI development encouraged students' emotional, cognitive, and behavioral academic engagement; and (c) the unit also encouraged students' emotional, cognitive, and behavioral academic engagement by leveraging book selections centering ethnoracially minoritized youth, critical consciousness raising, and class community building. Our findings offer implications for future research and school-based efforts looking to positively support adolescents' ERI development. Our findings also provide insights regarding the role of the predominately White school context in students' experiences with the unit, namely, the role of the context in some students' occasional disengagement with the material.
Schools play an organizational role in managing myopia-related behavioral habits among students. We evaluated the effects of school myopia management measures on myopia onset and progression in a school-based prospective 1-year observational study. In total, 8319 children from 26 elementary schools were included. Online questionnaire completed by a parent, in which school myopia management experience including outdoor activities in recess or physical education class, teachers' supervision, and teaching facilities. Variables were defined as implemented well or poorly, according to the Comprehensive Plan to Prevent Myopia among Children and Teenagers. Children underwent ophthalmic examinations, and the incidence and progression of myopia from 2019 to 2020 were estimated. Multilevel logistic regression models were constructed to analyze the association between school management measures and myopia development in 8,9 years and 10,11 years students. From 2019 to 2020, the incidence of myopia among primary school students was 36.49%; the mean difference of spherical equivalent in myopic children was - 0.29 ± 1.22 diopters. The risk of incident myopia was reduced by 20% in 8,9 years participants with well-implemented class recess compared with those with poorly implemented class recess (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.80, p = 0.032). PE outdoor time was significantly associated with myopia incidence in 10,11 years students (aOR: 0.76, p = 0.043). Compared with poorly implemented reading and writing posture, desk and chair height, 10,11 participants with well-implemented desk and chair height were less likely to have rapid myopic progression (p = 0.029, p = 0.022). In Shanghai, children's myopia is associated with better implementation of school myopia management measures. The present findings suggest that outdoor activities during class recess or PE class, providing suitable desks and chairs, and adequate instruction in reading and writing postures might protect against pathological eye growth. An age-specific myopia prevention and control programs in school is of primary importance.