Screening & Intervening for K–12 Students’ Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellbeing
Brittany Zakszeski
Role: Researcher
Email: bnz@udel.edu
Organization: University of Delaware
Project Description:
The Project GROW (Growing Resilience, Opportunities, and Wellness in Delaware schools) research team at UD will be conducting a series of initiatives related to social, emotional, and behavioral wellbeing (SEBW), beginning in the fall of 2023.
In Project 1, we are looking to work with schools/districts interested in evaluating and/or refining their universal SEB screening system. Schools/districts will share their goals and questions related to the screening system evaluation, and the Project GROW team will work with schools/districts to design an evaluation plan to address these goals and answer these questions. Schools/districts will be asked to share deidentified screening data through a data sharing agreement. We are especially interested in looking at issues related to (a) equity in universal SEB screening and (b) how screening data can be used to examine both Tier 1 and Tier 2 outcomes.
In Project 2, we are looking to work with schools interested in piloting and providing feedback on existing Tier 2 SEB interventions focused on emotion regulation and coping skills (grades 3–12). Specifically, we are looking to evaluate how to make interventions more efficient and feasible for implementation in schools. Schools will share their goals related to intervention implementation and act as partners in adopting and evaluating Tier 2 programs adapted for their context.
In Project 3, we are looking to work with schools interested in partnering to develop and pilot a new emotion regulation/coping skills intervention program for grades K–2. This program will be novel because it will be available to implement in two formats: (1) as a pull-out small-group intervention (for individual students screened as at risk) and (2) as a push-in class-wide intervention (for classes with high numbers of students screened as at risk). Schools will share their goals and preferences for such a program, provide feedback on preliminary prototypes of such a program, and pilot the program. We are currently submitting grant applications to fund this project and welcome the opportunity for school partners to join us.