We present findings from a group-randomized teacher action research intervention to promote academic engagement and achievement among elementary school students. Eighteen teachers from 3 elementary schools were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. Intervention teachers studied evidence-based instructional practices that cultivate academic…

Inequities and disparities of various forms exist in public schools that significantly impact the academic success and healthy development of many students. The detrimental effects of social injustices within schools are often ignored by school-based professionals (SBPs) because an entrenched intrapsychic perspective dominates the professional…

This article describes an ecological framework for school mental health services that differs in important ways from existing service delivery models. The model is based on research describing ecological frameworks underlying students' school success. Ecological characteristics of schools and classrooms that promote academic success are described…

There has been much progress in the recognition that important contextual influences on a variety of student outcomes exist. However, a true application of systems-ecological theory to school-based practices has yet to occur. In this article, the importance of integrating systems-ecological thinking with educational practice is described and…

Schoolwide Response to Intervention (RTI) services are growing in prevalence in U.S. schools. Most advanced are RTI programs in elementary schools, with preschool and secondary education programs beginning to discuss, develop, and experiment with schoolwide RTI. At its heart, RTI seeks to account for individual differences in student learning…

The effects of sleep disturbance on children are wide ranging and include alterations in behavior, mood, cognition, and academic performance. Screening and intervention for pediatric sleep disorders within the schools are not widely implemented, and the concept of integrating school personnel into the multidisciplinary sleep team has yet to be…

This article uses a multiyear case example to illustrate principles of comprehensive program consultation to low-performing urban school districts. The Plainfield (NJ) school district concluded that leaving no urban child behind required school personnel to attend to students' academic, social, and emotional development in an integrated, ongoing…

Current federal legislation (i.e., No Child Left Behind (NCLB)) requires states to set rigorous academic standards, ensure classroom instruction addresses these standards, and measure and report students' progress via large-scale assessments. NCLB assumes that inclusive accountability systems and standards-based reform will result in improved…

In this commentary on Al Otaiba, Hosp, Smartt, and Dole's article (this issue), key strengths, limitations, and systemic issues in the consultation project are identified. It is posited that despite expanded opportunities for school improvement since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) and clear evidence that improvement is…

Performance feedback has been described as a necessary component of consultation. Although feedback has been used to improve academic performance of individual students, less research has examined the effects on classroom academic engagement when implementation of classroom management variables is the source of feedback. Using a multiple-baseline…

In Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning: What does the Research Say? Zins and his colleagues presented a new way to conceptualize the impact of social and emotional learning programs on students' school success by broadening the concept to include students' attitudes, behaviors, and performance. To build on Zins' ideas, we…

Joseph Zins was a forerunner in empirically demonstrating the interrelationship of SEL interventions and school success. This commentary highlights his perspectives on the accumulating body of evidence for the academic gains that have been associated with various SEL interventions and aims to show how new research methodologies can further extend…

This commentary argues that Joseph Zins' work can contribute and enhance university-based teacher preparation programs. Focusing on secondary English Education, it examines how SEL competencies can improve the curricula and field experiences to support pre-service teachers.

Latino children living in the United States are not faring well in an educational system that increasingly is turning to "high-stakes" exams to make important decisions in the lives of students. While some argue that these exams have the potential to equalize educational opportunity, we review information that challenges this view. In this article…