Student Behavior and Well-Being program
SRI Educationās mission is to promote evidence-based mental health and behavioral interventions within multi-tiered systems of support, to improve student outcomes and eliminate disparities in school discipline policies and practices
SRI Educationās researchers work with partners to select, implement and evaluate programs that elevate studentsā positive behaviors in prekindergarten to postsecondary schools and classrooms. With our partners, we aim to improve school climate and safety, enhance studentāteacher relationships, support social and emotional development, increase student academic engagement and foster the emotional health and well-being of students and educators.
Visit the Student Behavior Blog.
Recent work
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Evaluation of Handle With Care 2.0 ā Supporting Students Who Experience Trauma
Handle With Care 2.0 fosters a collaborative relationship between local first responder organizations and schools to identify and support Kā12 students who experience trauma.
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Evaluation of the Impact and Implementation of Classwide Function-related Intervention Team (CW-FIT) in Elementary Schools
SRI is serving as the independent evaluator to examine the impacts of strategies to scale CW-FIT on student engagement, academic achievement, and teachersā use of praise and positive support, as…
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Promises and pitfalls of positive behavioral interventions and supports
Students who are Black, Latinx, and Native American are more likely than White students to be suspended or expelled ā even when comparing consequences for the same infractions.
How are we supporting positive behaviors in schools and classrooms?
SRI Education cares deeply about providing safe, healthy, inclusive and positive learning environments for all students. To accomplish this goal, we work with educators and administrators to implement equitable and culturally appropriate policies and practices that support studentsā mental health and well-being.
SRI Educationās researchers collaborate with teachers, administrators and community members at all grade levels, from prekindergarten to postsecondary, to promote positive learning environments. We also work with developers, policymakers and education leaders to select, adapt, implement and evaluate interventions and supports that reduce studentsā aggressive and oppositional behaviors; lessen anxiety, depression and traumatic stress; and increase coping, well-being and academic engagement and performance.
SRI Educationās goal is to help our partners apply effective strategies and equitable policies that foster inclusive practices, positive behaviors and studentsā motivation to learn and succeed.
Evidence of effective strategies for student behavior and well-being
Educators need usable data and evidence to make cost-effective decisions about equitable policies and practices that benefit all studentsā mental health and well-being.
SRI Education helps our partners bridge the worlds of education research and education policy and practice. Our researchers design and implement rigorous studies to evaluate school-based behavioral and mental health programs for students of all ages. We then provide high-quality evidence and actionable recommendations that our partners can use to improve studentsā emotional, behavioral and academic competencies.
Research on positive learning environments
Positive learning environments must be equitable and inclusive. Yet expulsion and suspension rates for Black students are more than twice as high as the rates for other racial or ethnic minority groups and four times higher than the rates for White students. To disrupt such disparities, educators need a deeper understanding of nonpunitive, nonexclusionary and proactive policies and practices that support positive behaviors.
SRI Education provides technical assistance, research and evaluation services to help our partners implement evidence-based programs and provide professional development to foster positive learning environments. Together, we aim to increase a sense of inclusion, equity and trust for staff, students and families, which in turn improves relationships among school staff, students and communities.
Promoting social and emotional development and academic success
Social and emotional skills, such as empathy, problem-solving and self-regulation, are closely linked to academic engagement and performance. Teachers need evidence-based strategies to help young learners develop these skills. However, many education systems continue to place more emphasis on developing academic skills than on social and emotional learning.
SRI Educationās technical assistance, research and evaluation services are tailored to help our partners find and practice effective strategies to develop and improve studentsā social and emotional skills. These strategies can lead to greater student success in school and beyond.
How are we supporting teachers to create positive learning environments?
Teachers cite studentsā behavioral issues as one of their most pressing daily concernsāand one they are ill-prepared to deal with. Up to a third of students may struggle to learn due to emotional and behavioral problems that interfere with their engagement in school. Educators need effective strategies to support students who have or are at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders and who experience acute or chronic trauma, so they are healthy and thrive in their learning environments.
SRI Education works with our partners to implement and evaluate professional development programs and school or classroom interventions that aim to decrease studentsā disruptive behaviors; improve their coping, resilience, mental health and social and emotional skills; and ameliorate the impact of traumatic stress.
Our experts
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W. Carl Sumi
Senior Principal Education Researcher, SRI Education
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Michelle W. Woodbridge
Exec. Director & Sr. Principal Researcher, Center for Learning & Development, SRI Education
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Kirby A Chow
Senior Education Researcher, SRI Education
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Elisa Garcia
Principal Researcher, SRI Education
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Dan Cohen
Dan Cohen, Senior Education Researcher, SRI Education
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Christen Park
Education Researcher, SRI Education
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Claire Christensen
Education Researcher, SRI Education
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Betsy Davies-Mercier
Senior Researcher, SRI Education
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Krystal Thomas
Senior Education Researcher, SRI Education
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Jennifer Nakamura
Researcher, SRI Education
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Nancy K Perez
Research Associate, SRI Education
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Sara Gracely
Research Analyst, SRI Education
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Maddie Cincebeaux
Research Associate, SRI Education
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Kristen Rouspil
Division operations manager, SRI Education
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Kerry Friedman
Senior Researcher, SRI Education
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Patrick Thornton
Principal Scientific Programmer/Analyst, SRI Education
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Jennifer W Yu
Program Director/Senior Principal Scientist, SRI Education
Recent publications
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Evaluation of Los Angeles City Collegeās STEM Pathways Program: Impacts of the STEM Learning Center on Student Outcomes
This report presents findings from a quasi-experimental study to estimate the impact of the STEM Learning Center on STEM course success and continuation in STEM.
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Measuring the Impact of Trauma-Focused, Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy with Middle School Students
This study examines differential effects of the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program on behavioral and academic outcomes of middle school students.
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Teachersā perceptions of studentsā executive functions: Disparities by gender, ethnicity, and ELL status
We assessed whether studentsā gender, ethnicity, and English language learner (ELL) status predicted teachersā reports of studentsā EFs, beyond what would be expected based on direct assessment of EFs.
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Peers matter: Links Between Classmatesā and Individual Studentsā Executive Functions in Elementary School
In this study, we test whether mean levels and variability in classmatesā EF skills are associated with growth in individual studentsā accuracy and speed .
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Factors Affecting Mental Health Service Utilization among California Public College and University Students: Who Accesses Resources and Who Doesnāt?
Despite having access to campus mental health providers and insurance to cover services, many college students do not receive necessary services. This study examined factors influencing college studentsā use of mental health services.
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Screening for Trauma in Early Adolescence: Findings from a Diverse School District
The current study examines the prevalence of trauma experiences and traumatic stress in middle school students from a large urban school district serving a high proportion of diverse immigrant and low-income families.
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Evaluation of California’s Statewide Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Programs: Summary of Key Year 2 Findings
This report summarizes key findings from the second year of an evaluation of the California Mental Health Services Authorityās statewide prevention and early intervention programs.
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California College and University Collaborations: Facilitators, Challenges, and Impact on Student Mental Health
Reports on an evaluation of student mental health collaboration activities among California higher education systems, community agencies, and county mental health.
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California Kā12 and Community Collaborations: Facilitators, Challenges, and Impact on Student Mental Health
Reports on an evaluation of student mental health collaboration activities among California Kā12 school districts, counties, and regions.